Board of Commissioners Passes Resolution Supporting External Audit of LifeLine Animal Project Inc.

Resolution presented by Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson follows allegations of small dog cages and unsanitary conditions

Yesterday, the Governing Authority of DeKalb County Government approved a Resolution presented by Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson supporting DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond in performing an external audit of DeKalb County Animal Services managed by LifeLine Animal Project, Inc. The external audit will include animal shelter operations, policies, and practices. This action comes after almost a year of allegations about concerning shelter operations, small dog cages, dirty cages, sanitation, housekeeping, clogged air ducts and overcrowding. 

“I am proud to move along this resolution to assure the residents of DeKalb that decisive actions will be taken to remediate any adverse conditions and ensure best practices at LifeLine Animal Project,” Commissioner Cochran-Johnson said. “To achieve this goal, we cannot rely on LifeLine to provide an internal evaluation of their systems, policies, and current conditions. We must rely on external professionals with empirical knowledge of animal shelter operations.”

The resolution solidifies Cochran-Johnson’s verbal request for an external audit during Fall 2023, out of an abundance of concern and caution, to remediate adverse animal shelter conditions and to ensure best practices. 

The request for an external audit comes at a time when there has been an increased burden and strain to provide shelter for countless animals, thereby stretching the capacity of Animal Services. Although current conditions are the result of a variety of underlying causes, the issues were exacerbated by the global pandemic, shelter size, and countless animals being adopted and remanded to shelters for care.

On Sept. 26, 2023, legislation was passed by the Governing Authority of DeKalb County to increase funding to the Lifeline Animal Project, Inc. to support additional resources, shelter operations, and staffing for Animal Services; however, a formal audit has not been performed, specifically on operations efficiency and flow of operations, overcrowding, flow of operations for quicker animal adoptions, fostering and rescue transfers, as well as their related policies and procedures to provide transparency and formal recommendations for improvement.

 For media coverage or to schedule an interview with Commissioner Cochran-Johnson, email jlmanigo@dekalbcountyga.gov or call 470-547-2696.