CHAMBLEE, Ga. — The DeKalb County animal shelter has had a surge in animals over the last few days, pushing the county facility past its capacity. The surge has put dogs at risk for euthanasia.
At midday on Tuesday, DeKalb County’s animal shelter had more than 500 dogs at a facility that was built to manage a crowd, 30 beyond its capacity.
Adding to the crowd will be a one-year-old Shepherd mix named Ghost, whose family had to downsize its living space and now has no space for a good-sized dog.
“Due to the downsize, I know I won’t be able to take care of him as much as I normally would,” said Rodriguis Scott, who was at the shelter to add a dog to its population.
Ghost is part of a surge that has vexed the folks running the shelter, managing the animals and trying to figure out how to reduce their numbers. They’ve worked social media sites to coax dog lovers to add one or more to their collection – even if it’s just to foster them for a while.
The alternative is grim.
“Unfortunately, we do have an e-list coming around — which is euthanization lists that go out,” Adoption supervisor Sabrina Garcia said Tuesday. She says those lists become casualty lists when there aren’t enough people escorting dogs to their homes.
“Get matched up. Bring 'em home,” she urged residents.
To learn more about pet adoptions in DeKalb County, click here.
