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Gwinnett County animal shelter nearing capacity

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Published  April 12, 2023 6:03pm EDT
Gwinnett County
FOX 5 Atlanta

Gwinnett County Animal Welfare says they need to get hundreds of pets adopted ASAP

Gwinnett County Animal Welfare is pleading people to consider adoption. The shelter in Lawrenceville is nearing capacity and needs to place hundreds of pets into homes as soon as possible.

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - With nearly 280 dogs, cats and other pets currently in their care, the Gwinnett County Animal Welfare Center is reaching its capacity. Officials have put out an urgent request for adoptive and foster families to help them.

"The quicker we can get these animals into homes, the more animals we can reach, the more animals we can help," explained Katrina Amaro, the shelter's special operations manager.

Four-year-old pitbull mix Michelle has called the center home since March 2022. 

"So, we did a one-year photo shoot with Michelle," said Amaro. "A lot of our staff, it pulls at their heart strings. It's definitely not easy." 

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Amaro said larger dogs, like Michelle, are usually the ones that have the hardest time getting adopted. Right now, the shelter has 15 animals that have been there for more than 200 days and another 40 that have been there for more than 100 days. 

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The Gwinnett County animal shelter was nearing capacity on April 12, 2023. (FOX 5)

At the Gwinnett center, adoptions are free, and the county covers the cost of food, veterinary care and leashes for anyone fostering an animal. 

"If you're not quite ready to adopt, fostering might be a good way to test to see if you're ready to have an animal in your home," Amaro explained. 

The issue is not limited to Gwinnett. Shelters in both DeKalb and Fulton counties have also experienced a surge.

"This is a national problem. Everybody that I've spoken to from other counties or other states is having the same problem—overpopulation. There was an increase of breeders during COVID," said Amaro. 

Those interested in more information about adopting or fostering a pet can visit: GwinnettCountyAnimalWelfare.com.