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Fulton County and Lifeline limit public intake hours to curb shelter crowding; emergency intake still handled
Summary
County staff and Lifeline said they temporarily reduced public intake hours (cutoff at 5 p.m., no routine Sunday public intake) to keep the shelter population below design capacity, citing a maximum of 376 dogs and a current population below 400.
County staff and Lifeline representatives told the Fulton County Animal Welfare Board on Jan. 29 they adjusted public intake hours to reduce the shelter population after a large increase in animals in late 2024.
A county representative said the dual operation of two shelters earlier in the year pushed the population toward or above 500 animals and that “we can only hold a certain amount of animals in the new shelter, or we're gonna wind up cutting the lifespan of that building in half.” The county stressed the shelter was designed for a maximum of 376 dogs and that exceeding that number requires placing animals in nonstandard spaces.
Belinda Bell, operations director for Lifeline, said the practical changes are a 5 p.m. cutoff for public intake and that Lifeline is not taking routine public intake on Sundays. “We cut off intake at 5, and then, don't have public intake on Sunday,” Bell said, adding that staff will still accept desperate cases and that field services continue to respond to sick, injured or aggressive animals.
Board members and Lifeline emphasized programs meant to reduce unnecessary intake: Lifeline described a “Take 48” program that encourages people to wait two days before bringing a lost pet to the shelter and to attempt to locate owners near the pet’s home using Friendly Finder and other community tools. Lifeline also said it plans pilot programs and expanded outreach to keep pets in communities where possible.
The county said the intake-hour change is not necessarily permanent and could be adjusted seasonally. Board members asked staff for follow-up data on whether closing Sunday intake produced an uptick in field-service calls; Lifeline said the shift has not produced a significant increase in Sunday calls so far.
Ending: County and Lifeline officials said they will continue to monitor shelter population and outcomes and will report back to the board at future meetings; no formal policy change or ordinance was adopted at the Jan. 29 meeting.
