DeKalb Chooses PDK Site for New Animal Shelter

The site is near Peachtree-DeKalb Airport. The proposed cost is about $8 million with $2.75 million coming from federal recovery funds.

The PDK site is the choice the group Advocates for DeKalb Animals wanted. The organization was formed several years ago, and incorporated last year, for just one purpose: to compel the county into replacing its existing facility. The current shelter has no air conditioning, a leaky roof, and was called in a citizens task force report a “chamber of horrors.”

Barbara Davis of Advocates for DeKalb Animals does not see this as the end of her group’s long battle, saying “So today’s the beginning. We’re very excited. We could not be more pleased with the site. And we will stay involved.” Davis says her group plans to start recruiting volunteers soon for the new shelter.

The commission’s 6-to-1 vote Tuesday came a full three months after an advisory group recommended the PDK site. The sole dissenter was Commissioner Elaine Boyer who says a site on Lawrenceville Highway, the Johns Homestead property, would have, given the county “more bang for the buck.”

A packed house at Tuesday’s commission meeting was comprised largely of Advocates for DeKalb Animals members in red shirts and Johns Homestead representatives wearing green. The Johns Homestead group opposed using part of the county-owned green space for the animal shelter.

Construction on the new shelter could start as soon as next March with projected completion in March 2015.