The clock is officially ticking at DeKalb County’s animal shelter, where staff say the building is over capacity and 17 dogs could be euthanized if they are not adopted or taken into foster care by Thursday evening. Employees said the center closed Tuesday with roughly 20 more dogs than it can humanely house, leaving staff and volunteers scrambling to find placements. Local rescues and volunteer networks have been working overtime to move animals out before the shelter’s deadline.
Shelter sets a hard deadline for at-risk dogs
As reported by FOX 5 Atlanta, the shelter posted on Facebook that, because it is open-intake, sudden arrivals can quickly overwhelm limited kennel space. Staff said that 17 dogs must be moved by 7 p.m. on Feb. 26 or they will face euthanasia. According to the FOX 5 report, the team closed Tuesday with nearly 20 more dogs than the facility’s target capacity and urged would-be adopters and fosters to act fast.
Official hours, location and who runs the shelter
Per DeKalb County Animal Services, the shelter is located at 3280 Chamblee Dunwoody Road in Chamblee. The contact page lists visiting hours, phone numbers and notes that the shelter is managed by LifeLine Animal Project. The county site currently carries a prominent “Homes Urgently Needed” notice, along with guidance for people who find a pet or need help with one.
What is driving spikes in intake
DeKalb’s shelter operates as an open-intake facility, which means it accepts animals from a wide range of situations and can be overwhelmed by mass rescues, owner surrenders and cruelty cases. Prior reporting has documented similar surges, including a multi-dog rescue that strained kennel space, underscoring how quickly humane capacity can be reached. FOX 5 Atlanta has previously covered those intake spikes and their impact on staffing and overall shelter operations.
How rescues and neighbors respond
Local rescue organizations, volunteer transport groups and LifeLine-run adoption drives have repeatedly stepped in to move animals to foster homes or partner shelters when DeKalb’s kennels fill up. Community-run listings and past urgent adoption and foster drives have moved dozens of dogs in short order, making it clear that this is often a neighborhood-driven response. Atlanta News First reported on a similar emergency push last year, showing how quickly this kind of crisis can recur.
Shelter staff say anyone who can foster, adopt or help transport animals should contact the shelter directly. Phone numbers and adoption and foster forms are available on DeKalb’s contact and adoptable-pets pages. For the most current list of at-risk animals and step-by-step instructions on fostering or adopting, check the shelter’s online listings or call the numbers on its contact page.
