It takes a village. Locally, three organizations have spent decades brining communit together around the care of its animals.
PAWS Atlanta, DeKalb County Animal Services, and LifeLine Animal Project form one of the most comprehensive animal welfare networks in metro Atlanta. At the heart of all three missions is a belief as simple as it is powerful: people and pets bring out the best in each other.
PAWS Atlanta, a no-kill shelter in Decatur celebrates 60 years with a group of residents, teachers, homemakers, and business people who were frustrated with shelter overcrowding and high euthanasia rates. They fundraised, purchased property and built the oldest no-kill shelter in the city. Programming includes adoption, fostering, volunteers, low-cost vaccines, food bank and reduced-cost preventatives. They provide extended shelter stays, specialized training, foster placement, and ongoing veterinary care.
"From our earliest days, every decision we've made has been rooted in serving mission: adoption, education, and support for families in need. We are committed to deepening connection and expanding our reach so that no pet in our community goes without the care they deserve.” PAWS Atlanta’s Executive Director, Crystal Bowman
DeKalb County Animal Services serves as the county's open-intake facility; they cannot turn any animal away. DeKalb County and LifeLine Animal Project also partner to provide free veterinary care to pet owners: free health exams, vaccines, microchipping, and spay/neuter surgeries for pets in need. This year, foster placements went up significantly, proving when families open their homes, even temporarily, lives are saved.
“The best outcome for most pets is never to enter a shelter. That's why LifeLine Animal Project, partnering with DeKalb County, invests so heavily in programs like monthly Pet Food Banks and many pet retention resources. By helping families through temporary challenges, we can keep pets where they belong with the people who love them.” Annie Alder, Executive Director, DeKalb County Animal Services
Behind much of the success and progress is LifeLine Animal Project, serving as the backbone of the region's largest animal welfare infrastructure in Georgia. They manage DeKalb and Fulton County Animal Services shelters.
Founded in 2002, LifeLine's approach is community-first. Rather than waiting for animals to arrive at the shelter, they work proactively to prevent that from happening at all. Programs like Healthy Pets bring free vaccination, microchipping, spay/neuter vouchers, and pet food events directly into DeKalb and Fulton neighborhoods each spring and fall. Recent county funding will increase LifeLine's free spay/neuter capacity four times, with mobile veterinary clinics and community outreach expanding into high-need neighborhoods. LifeLine has already performed over 115,000 free and low-cost spay/neuter surgeries to date the highest volume of any provider in Georgia.
"Our mission is simple: to keep pets healthy, keep families together, and prevent animals from entering shelters whenever possible. By supporting pet owners in their communities, we're not just treating animals, we're preserving the unconditional love, companionship, and connection that make pets such an important part of our lives." Executive Director, Shailee Dinbar, LifeLine's Community Animal Center
For Decatur families thinking about welcoming a pet, this is a wonderful time to explore. PAWS Atlanta's facility is open seven days a week, with adoptable cats, dogs, and a team ready to help find the right match. They also offer a foster program for families who want to ease into pet ownership, a meaningful way to introduce children to animal care before making a long-term commitment.