Georgia animal shelters join national adoption weekend to save pet lives

A little under half of Georgia’s 148 animal rescue centers are no-kill shelters. Even so, in 2022 over 15,000 dogs and cats had to be euthanized due to low adoption rates and high animal populations.

Best Friends is a national animal welfare organization working to stop all pets from being killed at animal shelters by 2025.

Director of Life Saving Centers in Atlanta Alexis Pugh said local shelters here need to reach out for support.

“If you're feeling overwhelmed and overcrowded in your shelter, don't hide it, ” Pugh said. “Don't be ashamed by it. Ask for help, involve your community. And that's what we're doing with National Adoption Weekend.”

In 2022, a total of 174,560 animals entered shelters in Georgia. The number of animals going into shelters has gone down since it peaked in 2020, but so have the number of adoptions. Pugh said it is important to consider alternative solutions and resources for the animals.

“It is about having a robust foster program to be able to care for little tiny kittens before they're ready for adoption,” she said. “Or dogs that may have some behavior challenges that need a home environment to work those out because they really just are not doing well in a shelter.”

Pets are available for adoption and for fostering at reduced or waived fees.

A full list of participating shelters in Georgia is available through Best Friends.