DeKalb County is hiring outsiders to conduct an external audit of its troubled animal shelter and the nonprofit that manages it.
Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson requested the audit, saying she continues to receive an “enormous” number of calls and emails about problems at the shelter, which is managed by LifeLine Animal Project. Since the start of 2022, volunteers and state inspectors alike have repeatedly flagged concerns about overcrowding, health and sanitation issues .
Cochran-Johnson said an external review is necessary to put the community’s concerns to rest.
“I want people to know that we are taking action,” she said.
DeKalb’s shelter has run afoul of state regulations far more often than any other Atlanta-area shelter. Most of its issues stem from overcrowding, which can make it harder to comply with rules around health and cleanliness. Inspectors have found cages too small for dogs to stand or turn around, as well as enclosures caked with fecal matter and urine.
Shelter volunteers have told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that animals there are living in conditions that would get a private owner charged with neglect.