Nearly 1,000 animals were brought into Fulton shelter in July

Fulton County Animal Services staff are overwhelmed with the number of intakes its facility is experiencing this summer.

Why it matters: Despite opening a 50,000-square-foot facility late last year, a spike in the number of animals coming into the new shelter means it's running low on space.

• "It's been crowded since day one," Erica Beard, director of client services for LifeLine Animal Project, which manages the Fulton and Dekalb shelters, tells Axios.

Zoom in: Beard says intake numbers usually rise in the summer, particularly after the Fourth of July when pets frightened by fireworks run away from home.

• However, the situation is dire because the shelter is also dealing with "low outcomes" for animals — meaning that fewer animals are being adopted, fostered, transferred to rescue groups or returned home.
• "It's just been a recipe for disaster here with us," Beard says.

By the numbers: Fulton Animal Services took in 917 animals in July, which is the second highest intake in a month LifeLine has seen in 11 years, Beard tells Axios.

• That includes 550 dogs, 344 cats plus animals like goats, guinea pigs and chickens.
• So far this month, the shelter has taken in 200 dogs, 118 cats and four goats.

The big picture: Many people feel compelled to surrender their pets after losing their jobs or homes, often coming to the shelter in tears as a last resort, Beard tells Axios.

Threat level: Legally, the shelter can hold a pet without any tags, microchip or other identifying information for three days before considering euthanasia and seven days for pets whose owners can be identified.

• However, Beard says they will only euthanize animals at the shelter over factors like aggressive behavior or terminal illness.

LifeLine does have a program called Friendly Finder, which encourages people who find strays to keep them in their care while checking in with neighbors to see if they are missing any pets.

• A lot of lost animals are found within a mile or less from their home, Beard tells Axios.
• "So we're really encouraging the community to take a little bit of ownership on that," Beard says, adding that chances of reunification drop significantly once a pet enters the shelter.

How to help: The shelter is making all pet adoptions free through Sept. 10. Visit the website for details.