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Shelter volunteers, residents press Fulton County for cost‑of‑care petitions and forensic audit after court‑case animals were euthanized
Summary
Multiple public commenters told the board that dogs held as evidence suffered long stays and that county attorneys did not file cost‑of‑care petitions, costing taxpayers and leading to euthanasia; volunteers urged immediate procedural changes and an independent forensic audit of animal‑services contracts.
Several residents and animal‑welfare volunteers used the public‑comment period Aug. 5 to press the commission for changes in how Fulton County handles court‑case animals and to demand oversight of contracted shelter services.
"My name is Hillary, and I'm here to tell cancer's story," one speaker said, describing a puppy named Cancer who entered county shelter services in July 2024 and — after more than two years as evidence — was euthanized days after his abusers faced trial. The commenter argued the county attorney's office should file cost‑of‑care petitions to require owners to pay for animal care and to expedite release. "Currently, due to the county attorney's office's failure to file these petitions, taxpayers are paying approximately $25 a day for court case dogs," the speaker said, adding that Cancer's care cost taxpayers more than $18,000 in his lifetime.
Other commenters who volunteer with Fulton County Animal Services described overcrowded kennels, rising intake (more than 9,000 animals in 2024, including 6,000 dogs) and a shelter built for roughly 375 dogs repeatedly over capacity. A volunteer urged the county to invest in prevention — spay/neuter, mobile veterinary care and stronger breeding regulations — rather than relying solely on adoption and rescue to manage population and costs.
Speakers also demanded an independent forensic audit of the county's animal‑services contracting and oversight, arguing that private nonprofit management of tax‑funded services requires full transparency and auditability. Commissioners did not immediately announce a specific response or timeline for review during the meeting.
