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Fulton County extends Lifeline Animal Project contract amid public outcry, sets performance talks and KPIs
Summary
The board unanimously approved a six‑month extension to the county’s animal services contract with Lifeline Animal Project while negotiating new performance metrics after months of public complaints and whistleblower allegations.
The Fulton County Board of Commissioners on June 18 approved an extension of the county’s existing animal services contract with Lifeline Animal Project in an amount not to exceed $4,540,000. The vote was unanimous.
The extension followed extensive public comment by volunteers, former staff and residents who alleged animal neglect, unsanitary conditions, staffing toxicity and conflicts of interest connected to fundraising and outside rescue placements. Speakers urged a forensic audit or a halt to the contract extension until the county completed a review. Multiple speakers also said they had reported concerns to county officials and law enforcement before coming to the commission.
County staff told the board the extension is paired with active negotiations to add explicit performance measures and public reporting. Mike Rawlicki of Strategy and Performance Management and other staff outlined a list of key performance indicators (KPI) the county intends to negotiate with Lifeline over the coming months. Those KPIs include a cap on shelter population aligned with facility capacity, a requirement that animals leaving the shelter be spayed or neutered when age‑appropriate, minimum staffing levels (targeted at 90% of required shelter and field staffing), improved preventive maintenance and work‑order reporting for the shelter facility, adoption and foster‑placement targets, and improved public‑facing data on intakes and outcomes.
Commissioners and county managers said the extension buys time to formalize those measures in a revised contract. County management said staff will monitor KPI performance and that the county has contract provisions allowing cancellation if performance obligations are not met.
Public speakers included a mix of volunteers and former Lifeline staff. Robbie Caban, who identified himself as a Fulton County taxpayer and homeowner, asked the board to “please heed the whistleblowers” and urged a forensic audit. Volunteer Katie Delgado described allegedly inhumane conditions she witnessed while volunteering. Several speakers asked the board to delay an extension until a full audit was completed; others said they were concerned about Lifeline’s relationships with national partner organizations.
County officials said they have been investigating complaints, meeting with Lifeline leadership and building a revised contract that would add the KPIs and require improved public reporting. If the negotiated KPIs are not met, county officials said they retain remedies under the contract, up to termination. The extension passed unanimously, and county staff will return with a revised contract incorporating the agreed KPIs and performance reporting schedule.
Ending: The extension allows Lifeline to continue operating Fulton County Animal Services while county staff works to codify performance obligations that officials say will address overcrowding, medical care, staffing and transparency concerns raised by community members.
