‘Crisis Point’: DeKalb, Fulton County Animal Shelters At Full Capacity

Karen Hirsch, public relations director of the LifeLine Animal Project, says summers are busy for the animal shelters, but this summer, the DeKalb and Fulton county shelters are seeing double the number of dogs each day coming in.

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DeKalb and Fulton county’s animal shelter officials say both shelters have run out of room for homeless cats and dogs. They are at full capacity — with 900 dogs and 315 cats in the animal shelters this summer.

Karen Hirsch is public relations director of the LifeLine Animal Project, which oversees the shelters for both counties.

“It’s just gotten to the crisis point,” Hirsch said. “Usually spring is the time when unspayed animals will mate and get pregnant, and summer is the time when all those babies end up at our shelter.”



Hirsch says summers are busy for the shelters, but this summer, the county shelters are seeing double the number of dogs coming in each day.

She said some of the 900 dogs at the county shelters will need to be euthanized or transported to any shelters with extra room in the northeastern United States.

“Atlanta has a problem with homeless pets because people aren’t spaying and neutering their pet,” Hirsch said. “They’re purchasing from breeders instead of adopting from the shelters.”

LifeLine Animals says it is looking for emergency foster families in Fulton and DeKalb counties. It also accepts donations in both counties.