LifeLine Animal Project reports spike in pet surrenders at both facilities

The nonprofit, which operates animal services for Fulton and DeKalb counties, said the spike in pet surrenders comes amid economic turmoil.

LifeLine Animal Project says pet surrenders are spiking because of economy

By WSBTV.com News Staff

ATLANTA — LifeLine Animal Project said due to the current economic conditions impacting Americans, both of its shelters were beyond capacity.

The shelters filled up and beyond, as the organization reported significant spike in pet surrenders.

According to LifeLine, the shelters are beyond capacity as residents in the metro Atlanta area are confronted by higher gas prices and housing instability.

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Sam Moore at LifeLine said that the two main shelters they have are open intake. It makes them fill up faster.

Moore said it strains the organization’s capacity to care for the animals.

“There’s typically a lot of reasons we see owners surrender, but the biggest recent reasons are economic stressors,” Moore said. “When the economy gets tough, when caring for your pet gets tough, it makes you more likely to surrender your pet.”

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Moore said LifeLine has a few programs in place to help keep pet owners with their pets, including low-cost veterinary care or food and other supplies that pet families need.

“These numbers are heartbreaking, but we don’t want people to feel like giving up their pet is their only option,” Timyka “Tiki” Artist, public relations manager for LifeLine Animal Project, said in a statement. “There are resources available to help families keep pets in their homes during difficult times, but many people simply don’t know about them.”

LifeLine said dog surrenders at both of its shelters were up 30% in April 2026 compared to the year before.

At the same time, adoption returns for both was up 43%.

Staff said a lot of the surrenders they’re seeing were tied to financial hardships, evictions and housing policies that limit what breeds or how many pets you can have as a renter.

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