FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Fulton County will soon be able to help more animals find a home. The county is working to open a new animal services facility that can house hundreds of animals.
The project comes as Fulton County Animal Services deals with a record number of animals. The building, which was built in 1970, was only meant to house 150 animals. The introduction of the new facility is hoped to offer some respite to the animals in need.
"We have two and three dogs in a run, if you can imagine just being in a space like that day in and day out. It gets very, very difficult for the animals here," said Tiki Artist of the LifeLine Animal Project, an organization that runs the shelter.
The shelter has already taken in approximately 400 dogs this year alone, with various reasons cited for the surge in surrenders. Tiki Artist explained some pet owners are facing financial difficulties due to the aftermath of the pandemic, making it difficult for them to provide for their families and pets simultaneously.
"People are struggling with putting food on the table. And so sometimes it's a choice between putting food on the table or keeping the family pet," Tiki Artist said.
During a hard-hat tour Friday, crews guided people through the envisioned space. Once completed, the facility would be able to house 367 dogs, 18 chickens, a dozen small animals and six larger livestock animals.
Spanning 44 acres, the facility will also include a clinic, three surgery tables, a barn, six puppy rooms, a chicken coop and 33 play yards. There will also be 54,000 square feet dedicated to a pasture.
"We're hoping that in early November, we will we will have moved a number of the animals in and will be in full," said Alton Adams, the Chief Operating Officer of Justice, Public Safety, and Technology for Fulton County.
He said the new facility will combine state-of-the-art technology.
However, the LifeLine animal staff hope the new shelter will only be a temporary home for the animals who stay there.
"What we need is to get more animals into homes," Tiki Artist said.
An important feature crews highlighted Friday was the facility's planned ventilation systems. There will be separate systems for sick dogs and other pets to help maintain the health of the animals that call the space a temporary home.
This feature comes as Fulton County Animal Services struggled with an outbreak of canine flu earlier this month. Shelters were under emergency as they were operating over capacity, exposing more animals to sickness. Some died as a result.
County animal services officials emphasized that the new facility will help ease capacity limitations at its other shelters.
With a mission to rescue more animals and its $40 million investment, crews believe construction will be done by September. The county is planning to open it to the public in November.