DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A judge has ruled a man must pay DeKalb County $71,280 or relinquish control of his dogs.
“It is an eye-popping number, but it also is an eye-popping case,” Ashely Derrick, founder of Advocates for Dekalb Animals, said.
In April 2023, DeKalb County Animal Services learned of a case of a man reportedly hitting a dog with a chair. When they arrived, DeKalb says they found more animals with signs of abuse.
DeKalb ended up taking 15 dogs from the home and putting them into their care. More than 600 days later, the case is still going on and the county is still paying to take care of the animals.
“Think about how much taxpayers are spending on this, feeding an animal every day, medical expenses on an animal, housing an animal, and all those costs,” Derrick said.
DeKalb County told Channel 2’s Michael Doudna that it costs about $35 a day to take care of an animal in their shelter. If the dog is in foster care, that cost is often less but not consistent.
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These 15 dogs are not unique. According to the latest information, 94 dogs in DeKalb’s care are caught up in the legal system.
They cannot be adopted but still take up room in a shelter that often faces overcrowding.
“They are evidence, they are live evidence. They are often the victims in many cases,” Derrick said. “In the meantime, we have dogs that are languishing and dying in the system.”
In April 2024, DeKalb County authorized their county attorney to file lawsuits to recover the cost of care.
They asked the judge to have the accused man pay an impoundment fee and $10/day per dog in the shelter, along with $2/day per dog currently in foster care. The total amount: $71,280.
If the money is not paid, the animals will be controlled by the county and able to be adopted.
Advocates like Derrick hope this will lead to more dogs being able to move through the system and find better homes.
“The animals should not be sitting and waiting to be able to be adopted for three years. That should not be what’s going on,” Derrick said.
The man in this case has not been found guilty at this time.
According to court documents, they have been unable to locate him recently. However, if he is found innocent, Dekalb County said he could request a refund.
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