The long-awaited new animal shelter for Fulton County will open Saturday.
The $40 million Fulton County Animal Services Facility at 1251 Fulton Industrial Blvd. will hold a public opening event 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., despite predicted heavy rain.
It will feature plenty of adoptable pets, children’s activities, treats, dog trainers, a vendor market, giveaways and tours of the new building, according to LifeLine Animal Project, which manages animal control for Fulton County.
LifeLine has been trying to adopt or foster as many animals as possible before moving the remainder to the new Fulton shelter. All through November pet adoptions have been $25, and last weekend adoptions were free. During that weekend LifeLine found new homes for 221 dogs and cats, said Heather Friedman, LifeLine chief marketing officer.
But that still leaves plenty more to move, starting Thursday.
“We started off with 457 dogs at our Fulton and Midtown shelters and now have 357,” she said. Dogs make up about 80% of the animals LifeLine takes in.
The Atlanta Midtown overflow shelter will close Thursday but the old main Fulton shelter will briefly remain open, and adoptions there will continue.
Another adoption promotion is expected on a December weekend, Friedman said, but details haven’t yet been released.
The 50,000-square-foot new shelter, three times the size of the county’s previous main shelter, has been five years in the making. It was delayed for two years by the pandemic, during which costs rose from $32.6 million to $40 million.
The new shelter is on a 44-acre site and is designed to hold 376 dogs, 99 cats, a dozen small animals, up to 18 chickens and a half-dozen livestock. The county expects to take in about 8,000 animals a year, and about 6,500 of those will be dogs.
The new shelter has many features the old shelter lacks, including a full-service veterinary clinic that will offer low-cost spay/neuter service, dog runs, a “cat condo,” and designated play and adoption areas.
The 45-year-old shelter on Marietta Boulevard was designed for 150 animals but usually holds many more. When it was built, animals were routinely euthanized if they remained unclaimed for more than a few days.
Animals available for adoption or fostering can be seen at www.fultonanimalservices.com or www.lifelineanimal.org, or by going to the following locations:
- Fulton County Animal Services (new) 1251 Fulton Industrial Blvd. (starting Saturday)
- Fulton County Animal Services (old), 860 Marietta Blvd. NW, Atlanta
- LifeLine Animal Project Midtown, 981 Howell Mill Road NW, Atlanta (through Thursday only)
- Community Animal Center, 3180 Presidential Drive, Atlanta
- DeKalb County Animal Services, 3280 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Chamblee
About the Author
