Atlanta Shelters Continue Low Adoption Fees After National Dog Day

More than 40 animals were adopted from Fulton County Animal Services and DeKalb County Animal Services earlier this week on National Dog Day, when adoption fees were waived to help find forever homes for pups and kittens at the shelters. 

Lara Hudson, director of Fulton County Animal Services, said the shelter has lowered its fees to only $10 for the remainder of the month to continue to momentum.

In September, adoption fees will be waived again for the month as part of LifeLine Animal Project’s Fall in Love adoption event. Participating shelters include Fulton County Animal Services, DeKalb County Animal Services, LifeLine Dog House and Kitty Motel in Avondale Estates and LifeLine Cat Adoption Center in Scottsdale, Georgia. All adoptable dogs and cats are spayed or neutered, vaccinated and microchipped. 

Right now, the Fulton County shelter houses 434 animals, 114 cats and 320 dogs; most are up for adoption. 

On average, the shelter takes in about 20 animals a day, mostly strays. Other animals are dropped off by owners who can’t take care of them any more or are confiscated because of a number of reasons, Hudson said. The shelter hasn’t euthanized any healthy, adoptable cats for about a year. 

Nationally, about 7.6 million pets enter animal shelters each year, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. 

CORRECTION: We originally printed that the shelter had not euthanized any animals for a year. The shelter has not euthanized any healthy cats for a year. WABE regrets the error.