Pandora is one of the dogs that was once up for adoption at LifeLine Animal Project. File Photo from www.facebook.com/LifeLineAnimalProject

By Ellie Ritter, contributor 

Next month, the DeKalb County Animal Services (DCAS) will move to its new facility near the DeKalb-Peachtree Airport. The new shelter, located at 3280 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, will be 33,440 square feet on 5.3 acres of land, according to a DCAS press release.

With the facility’s construction still underway, the project will be complete in the coming weeks. Total construction cost for the new shelter is estimated to be $10 million.

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The new animal shelter will feature 12 adoption rooms, space for 450 cats and dogs and an exercise yard. There will also be an onsite clinic that will include a surgery and prep room, lab area, pharmacy and a spay-and-neuter clinic.

Before DCAS moves, they must have as many dogs and cats adopted as possible from the current shelter, according to the press release.  To promote adoptions, DCAS and the LifeLine Animal Project, will offer a “Clear the DeKalb Shelter” promotion throughout June.

Adoptions for dogs, cats, kittens and puppies are fee waived, including their spay/neuter, vaccines and microchips. There is no weight, size or age restriction for the promotion.

LifeLine Animal Project CEO Rebecca Guinn believes that offering fee-waived adoptions is a great way to increase adoption rates.

“Fee-waived adoptions tend to create a buzz of excitement and bring more people into shelters,” she said. “According to numerous studies, fee-waived promotions increase adoptions without compromising the quality of care that the animals receive.”

Throughout June, DCAS will also give away prizes to adopters, including 50 Paul Mitchell pet grooming kits and 50 King of Pops prizes for the first 100 adopters. On June 17, they will host a special Mega Adoption event with music, food, kids’ activities, prizes and “possibly a celebrity or two.”

DCAS is currently located at 845 Camp Road in Decatur. To view animals available for adoption, for adoption rates, or for the shelter’s phone number and hours of operation, please visit their website.

Outreach programs focus on improving the standard of care for animals in the community and preventing pet overpopulation. For more information, please visit LifeLineAnimal.org or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

Click on here to preview the aerial video footage of the new Animal Shelter.