Georgia Animal Rights and Protection

Please watch to learn about the proposed ban on tethering dogs in DeKalb County, as well as the effects and risks of tethering.

Most of the expert testimony occurs near the beginning of the meeting, followed by committee discussion. This portion of the meeting runs from approximately 12 to 60 minutes.

This is the DeKalb County Employee Relations and Public Safety (ERPS) Committee Meeting from June 2, 2026. At the conclusion of the meeting, a motion was made to defer the item for two weeks.

DeKalb County Employee Relations and Public Safety (ERPS) Committee Meeting - June 2, 2026 Aired live on DCTV (DeKalb County Television), Channel 23, this vid...

A Georgia Department of Agriculture inspection report obtained by Atlanta News First revealed the state issued Clayton County Animal Control a violation for not following state euthanasia protocols by using the state’s least recommended way to put animals down in the majority of cases. They then removed the violation the same day.

Drug logs provided by Clayton County Animal Control in previous records requests revealed the shelter’s staff veterinarian used the HEART STICK AS THE INITIAL METHOD OF EUTHANASIA NEARLY 90% from February 2025 to February 2026.

Rules and Regulations of the state of Georgia, along with Georgia animal protection law, require a lethal solution to be used in a specific order, starting with a vein. If a vet cannot access a vein, then they are to inject through the abdomen. The last option is through the heart, commonly referred to as the heart stick. GDA rules are clear: A HEART STICK CAN ONLY BE USED IF THE DOG OR CAT IS UNCONSCIOUS. The American Veterinary Medical Association guidelines for euthanasia state that an animal must be unconscious, not just sedated, so the animal can’t perceive pain.

Clayton County animal shelters are publicly funded, but the public isn’t allowed inside. Only staff and state prisoners on work duty are permitted to enter, and no volunteers are employed. The only way to see what’s happening to the animals is through open records requests and internal cameras.

Last year, a disturbing video footage accessed through an open records request showed workers at the Clayton County Animal Control shelter being extremely abusive to animals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1i43Jx1wXo

County commissioners control county budgets and can influence policies, staffing, oversight, and funding priorities affecting animal control operations.

Please contact the commissioners and urge them to take action to ensure that the shelter is a safe haven for animals—many of whom have already suffered cruel neglect, abuse, and abandonment—and that all personnel who are tasked with handling them are properly trained and competent.

Dr. Alieka Anderson-Henry
Chairwoman, Clayton County Commissioner
[email protected] Phone: (770) 477-3208

Alaina Reaves
Vice Chair District 1, Clayton County Board of Commissioners
[email protected] Phone: Phone: (770) 477-3213

Gail Hambrick
District 2 Commissioner, Clayton County Board of Commissioners
[email protected] Phone: Phone: (770) 603-4135

Tashe Allen
District 3 Commissioner, Clayton County Board of Commissioners
[email protected] Phone: (770) 473-5465

DeMont Davis
District 4 Commissioner, Clayton County Board of Commissioners
[email protected] Phone: (770) 473-5445

‘They don’t have a voice’ | Clayton County shelter euthanasia practices criticized The Georgia Department of Agriculture has not explained why a violation was removed the same day it was issued.

ACTION ALERT FOR GEORGIA ANIMALS!

When the Deer Lake HOA in Alpharetta, Georgia decided to trap and kill beavers that had been damaging trees around its neighborhood lake, it did not make that decision lightly. According to the HOA's own letter to residents, it contacted more than 10 wildlife trappers in North Georgia looking for relocation options. None were willing or able to help.

The reason is not a shortage of goodwill. It is Georgia law.

Under Georgia Department of Natural Resources rules, relocated beavers can only be released on private property. Because beavers are classified as nuisance animals, they cannot be released on state-owned land, wildlife management areas, or state parks. In practice, that means finding a private landowner willing to accept beavers, a near-impossible task that left this HOA with no legal humane alternative to lethal control.

That is a policy failure, not a wildlife management solution.

Beavers are native to Georgia. They are also ecologically valuable. Beaver activity creates wetland habitats that improve water filtration, reduce downstream flooding, and support biodiversity. The animals being framed as pests in Alpharetta are the same animals conservation scientists point to as natural infrastructure for healthy watersheds. Georgia's current rules make it easier to kill them than to put them to work somewhere they belong.

Meanwhile, residents of Deer Lake are divided and frustrated, not because the HOA acted in bad faith, but because the system gave it nowhere else to turn. Many residents found out about the trapping through Facebook posts, not through any formal HOA notification process.

We are calling on the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to reform its rules to allow beaver relocation to appropriate state-managed wildlife areas, on the Georgia legislature to review and modernize the state's nuisance animal classification for native species, to require a documented humane alternatives review before any HOA or property owner authorizes lethal wildlife control, and to mandate that HOAs formally notify residents and allow community input before making lethal wildlife management decisions.

The beavers in Alpharetta did not choose to be a nuisance. They chose a lake. Georgia's laws made killing them the only option. Sign this petition to demand Georgia change those laws before the next community faces the same impossible choice.

Sign the Petition Reform Georgia's Beaver Relocation Rules and End the Policy That Forces Lethal Control

Please click the link below and ask your U.S. representative to co-sponsor the Federal Animal Research Accountability Act. It would require that all labs receiving funds from U.S. Public Health Service agencies annually complete a short form that includes the total number of animals bred, housed, and used in the previous year, sorted by species and level of pain and distress. NIH would then make those annual reports available to the public via an agency website. Our tax dollars pay for this wasteful atrocity; at least we should have transparency.

Ask Your Member of Congress to Co-Sponsor the Federal Animal Research Accountability Act! Can you believe the federal government doesn’t count the number of animals used in taxpayer-funded experiments?

Saturday, May 30, 2026, 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM, Farm of the Free is hosting a book fair featuring local authors, unique bookish vendors, and a relaxed atmosphere where you can sip, browse, and rediscover your love of reading. The brewery will have a vegan special and a new vegan menu guide. All proceeds will help take care of rescued farm animals. Click the link below for more info.

Chillastic Adult Book Fair | farmofthefree Get ready for a cozy, book-loving escape at the Chillastic Adult Book Fair! Browse books from local authors, discover unique bookish vendors, and enjoy a relaxed, nostalgic vibe—just like the fairs you loved as a kid, but made for adults (no parental book limits)!

For anyone interested in helping companion animals in DeKalb County... The DeKalb County Animal Services Advisory Board now has an official website to help the public stay informed and involved!! 😃

The DeKalb County Animal Services Advisory Board meets virtually on the third Thursday of each month, from 6:30pm - 8:30pm. (Info under the “Meetings” tab.) Also be sure to check “Data and Trends” on here. Shelter intake continues to rise. ☹️

If you would like to get involved, please join these meetings to share your concerns and support for animal welfare in DeKalb County, GA.

DeKalb County, GA, Animal Services Advisory Board Caring for DeKalb County, GA Animals in Community  Welcome to the DeKalb County, GA Animal Services Advisory Board website where you will find information about the advisory board, upcoming meetings and meeting minutes, data, and related documents.We collaborate with the DeKalb County CEO, Board of...

Dana redecorated the sidewalk at the Empty the Tanks protest. After the protest, while waiting for the car, it was rewarding to see people stop walking and take time to read the messages.

Happy Mother’s Day to moms everywhere!

GARP volunteers are awesome! Thanks to all who came out today for Worldwide Empty the Tanks Day!

Take action NOW to shut down OHSU’s monkey lab! The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is a registered 501(c)(3) organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. A one-time donation of at least $20 (or a monthly gift of at least $5) qualifies you for a one-year subscription to our quarterly journal....