Overcrowding crisis at DeKalb County Animal Shelter hits boiling point

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The overcrowding crisis at the Dekalb County Animal Shelter hit a boiling point Thursday.

Inspectors from Georgia’s Department of Agriculture showed up to investigate a complaint connected to the number of animals inside.

Channel 2′s Courtney Francisco was the only reporter there when two inspectors showed up just before the shelter opened.

The non-profit that the county contracts to run the shelter, LifeLine Animal Project, issued a call for help days earlier, warning the public that it must house 250 dogs or risk euthanizing them for space.

“Each day, we’re having anywhere from 10 to 20 animals coming into our shelter, but only eight go out,” said Spokesperson Tiki Artist.

The Department of Agriculture said overcrowding can lead to violations involving sanitation and cage size.

Records show inspectors have been to the Dekalb County shelter 56 times since Jan. 2022.

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Since then, the agency ordered the shelter to stop taking in animals twice. One order came in May 2022. The agency lifted that in June of 2022. The second order came in Dec. 2022. That was lifted in Feb. However, records show the shelter violated that order by taking in an additional 207 animals.

Officials from the Department of Agriculture and Dekalb County met for a compliance conference in Feb. 2023.

By March, Dekalb County sent a letter to the Department outlining steps the Dekalb County Animal Services would take to improve shelter conditions. Part of the plan included solutions for better intake management to eliminate issues due to overcrowding.

In July, the shelter announced a crisis. Artist said the kennels were so crowded that staff had decided to start euthanizing healthy dogs for the first time in a decade.

“Sometimes, it really feels like we’re in this all alone. What we really need is the community to step up to the plate,” said Artist.

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Staff issued another call for help this week ahead of the inspection.

Artist pointed out, that there are new ways you can get a dog out of the shelter stress for a matter of hours or days.

. You can adopt a dog for the day. Click here to find out how.

Also, if you find a lost dog, she urges you to try to find the owner for at least 48 hours before bringing it to the shelter. She said that like fostering, can give LifeLine time to free up space and get other dogs adopted before more come to intake.

Recent Inspection Records:

September 14th, 2023 Inspection

• Inspection Type: Complaint Follow-Up
• Violations Found: 3
• Housekeeping
• Sanitation
• Space Requirements

September 9th, 2023 Inspection

• Inspection Type: Consumer Complaint
• Violations Found: 4
• Housekeeping: hair, dust, debris, and waste build up in dog-holding areas
• Sanitation: Enclosures not cleaned at a frequency to provide a healthy environment. Dogs lying in their own waste and contaminated food.
• Structural Strength: Collapsible and airline crates used for housing of animals.
• Space Requirements: Dogs housed in enclosures that are too small.

August 29, 2023 Inspection

• Inspection Type: Consumer Complaint
• Violations Found: 4
• Housekeeping: hair, dust, debris, and waste build up in dog-holding areas
• Sanitation: Enclosures not cleaned at a frequency to provide a healthy environment. Dogs lying in their own waste and contaminated food.
• Structural Strength: Collapsible and airline crates used for housing of animals.
• Space Requirements: Dogs housed in enclosures that are too small.

August 16, 2023 Inspection

• Inspection Type: Routine Inspection
• Violations Found: 0

July 11, 2023 Inspection

• Inspection Type: Routine Inspection
• Violations Found: 0

June 7, 2023 Inspection

• Inspection Type: Consumer Complaint
• Violations Found: 0

May 30, 2023 Inspection

• Inspection Type: Routine Inspection
• Violations Found: 0

April 24, 2023 Inspection

• Inspection Type: Routine Inspection
• Violations Found: 0

March 7, 2023 Inspection

• Inspection Type: Routine Inspection
• Violations Found: 0

February 1, 2023 Inspection

• Inspection Type: Consumer Complaint
• Violations Found: 0

January 30, 2023 Inspection

• Inspection Type: Reinspection
• Violations Found: 1
• Housekeeping: Heavy buildup of hair and debris remains under shoreline enclosures.

January 10, 2023 Inspection

• Inspection Type: Reinspection
• Violations Found: 4
• Willful Disregard: Shelter has taken in additional animals despite stop order being in place.
• Housekeeping: Housekeeping issues remain.
• Space Requirements: Shelter continues to house dogs in enclosures that are too small.
• Structural Strength: Dogs observed in damaged or collapsible crates.

In a statement, the Department of Agriculture wrote:

“The Department’s Companion Animal Division works around the clock to ensure Georgia’s shelter pets are safe, healthy, and provided the humane care they deserve. We encourage all Georgians looking to add a four-legged family member to adopt via our shelters and rescue organizations, and this is an important reminder for pet owners to ensure their pets are spayed or neutered.”

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