DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Could new rules about breeding lead to less overcrowding at metro Atlanta animal shelters?
That’s the idea behind legislation passed Tuesday by the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners.
Channel 2’s Michael Doudna was at the DeKalb County Animal Shelter, where supporters say the new ordinance was an effort to try and save pets’ lives.
Right now, shelter officials said 35 dogs are scheduled to be euthanized because of overcrowding. If they’re not adopted by the end of the week, they’ll be put down.
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To prevent stats like that, DeKalb County commissioners passed legislation aimed at slowing down breeding from bad breeders.
The shelters in DeKalb County are constantly overflowing, and officials say the system is nearing a breaking point.
Commissioner Michelle Long Spears said it’s an issue that’s been happening for many years.
“DeKalb County has been grappling with an animal shelter overpopulation crisis for quite some time now,” the commissioner said.
To address it, the commission came up with a plan to target what they call uncontrollable breeding that will soon limit breeders unlicensed by the state to just one litter per year.
“We find ourselves always trying to deal with something that’s happened,” animal advocate Ashley Derrick said. “We need to be proactive here.”
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Derrick told Channel 2 Action News that bad breeders are a main source of animal shelter dogs, costing lives and millions of taxpayer dollars.
“More and more animals are being euthanized because we don’t have the space,” Derrick said. “Again, I keep saying it, taxpayers are on the hook.”
However, while some understand the idea, they say they are skeptical about what the results will be.
Pat Joyce, at the American Kennel Club, isn’t sure the ordinance will do what it’s supposed to.
“I have some serious doubts about the effectiveness of all of this,” Joyce told Channel 2 Action News.
She’s been an American Kennel Club judge for years, and a breeder too. Her dog Gordo even won best in breed in 2013.
While Joyce isn’t licensed by the state, she follows the rules for care and vaccination.
“I don’t wanna see any dog in a shelter die needlessly,” Joyce said. “The dogs that are in there are not dogs coming from proper breeders.”
Joyce told Doudna that she’s worried the bad breeders who don’t follow rules now won’t follow the new county ordinance, which provides a restriction without being a solution.
“I can understand, but this is the wrong way to do it,” Joyce said.
The legislation is supported by Lifeline Animal Project, which manages the DeKalb County shelter as well as the one in Fulton County.
The organization said the new ordinance is a proactive step, but they still need help fostering or adopting out the dogs they have in the shelter now.
“We applaud Commissioner Michelle Long Spears and Advocates for DeKalb Animals for championing the breeder registration ordinance and taking bold, proactive steps for our community’s animals. Commissioner Spears’ commitment to also expand access to spay/neuter is exactly the kind of leadership we need,” Lifeline said in a statement. “With record-high intake overwhelming our shelter, this crisis demands both immediate and long-term solutions. Preventative measures are the path forward—but to save lives today, we need the community to step up now by fostering or adopting a pet.”
As for the legislation, county officials told Channel 2 Action News that they hope to have it in effect at the start of 2026.
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