Six weeks after the groundbreaking ceremony for a project that has already been delayed for more than a year, DeKalb County last week finally applied for a permit to build an overflow addition to its overcrowded animal shelter in Chamblee.
Animal advocates have vacillated between cheering any kind of progress, criticizing the glacial pace of what was billed as a short-term emergency measure and stressing that a more comprehensive strategy is needed to fix inhumane conditions at the overwhelmed shelter.
“I’m very happy that we’re thinking creatively of how to take care of our county’s animals, but it is not a solution,” said County Commissioner Michelle Long Spears, who is leading the commission’s efforts to address the animal shelter’s troubles.
The DeKalb County Animal Services shelter was designed to hold 221 dogs but usually crams in more than double that number. Last year through October, according to the most recent data available, 670 animals were euthanized, or 9.2% of the population — just below the 10% rate at which the shelter ceases to be a “no kill” facility.
Completion of the overflow units is expected in June. They will house 120 dogs, less than 40% of the population that currently exceeds capacity.
Chamblee Mayor Brian Mock vented his frustration the week before Christmas, saying the county had not completed basic steps to obtain a construction permit for the overflow facility.
“These animals deserve better,” Mock said on Facebook. “This doesn’t need to drag out any further. Get it done.”
DeKalb applied for the permit Friday, spokesperson Sloan Turner said. In the meantime, she said, seven of the expansion’s 10 kennels have been built.
The kennels look like houses, with pitched roofs and porches, each holding a dozen dogs. They will be equipped with heat and air conditioning, Turner said.
Dogs in the “pet neighborhood” will have more room than those currently in the shelter, where cage sizes have been cut in half and some are kept in cages meant for cats, officials said. Plans for the expansion include a dog park and additional office space.
“It’ll be just a little bit better for them,” said Rebecca Guinn, founder and CEO of LifeLine Animal Project, the nonprofit that manages the facility. “Granted, it is still a shelter.”
The project’s overall cost is $4.1 million, with $2.5 million funded by the county’s Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax and $1.6 million from the general fund.
Construction stalled last year while a neighboring property owner fought an easement, according to the county. In response to questions from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Turner did not provide details about the dispute’s outcome.
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
“The issue has been resolved to all parties’ satisfaction,” she said in an email.
Before Christmas, on the same day Mock complained about the county’s inaction, dogs were caged in a “bonding room” meant for humans to interact one-on-one with potential pets. Feces had not yet been cleaned in at least one cage.
County Commissioner Robert Patrick dropped off a check for more than $10,000 from his inaugural 5K Fur Run benefiting the shelter. Volunteers took dogs into a play yard for fresh air and exercise.
Overcrowding is down from its peak in 2023 but has not improved much, said Sonali Saindane, chairperson of the county’s animal services advisory board. Shelters everywhere are crowded, but unregulated breeding and — often related — neglect and cruelty cases are rampant in DeKalb, leading to frequent seizures of large numbers of dogs who then languish at the shelter while their former owners are prosecuted.
“Intake has been at an alarming rate,” Saindane said. “There are adoptions happening, but it’s not enough to offset the number of animals coming in.”
The sales tax renewal voters approved in 2023 should generate millions more for a permanent expansion to the shelter building, Spears said.
The county started last year to crack down on people accused of abuse or neglect, forcing them to pay for their animals’ care at the shelter or relinquish ownership, freeing the animals up for adoption. The county also passed an ordinance banning unregulated pet sales.
To adopt, foster or donate to the shelters in DeKalb or Fulton counties, visit lifelineanimal.org.
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
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