Decatur dog shelter puts out urgent call for adoptions

A shelter dog looks out from a crate after having been unloaded from a cargo plane, Tuesday, April 20, 2021, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)

Metro Atlanta animal shelters experienced a boom of adoptions during the pandemic as many people spent more time at home and sought out canine companions.

But those numbers have dropped sharply in recent months, and local animal shelters have become pressed for space and resources.

Now that mask mandates are gone, housing is less affordable, and inflation is up, adoptions are at their lowest and returns are higher than ever.