ATLANTA, GA – (July 1, 2026)  As National Lost Pet Prevention Month begins and the Fourth of July approaches, LifeLine Animal Project is urging pet owners to take extra precautions to keep their pets safe while encouraging the community to adopt as local shelters face increasing intake numbers.

Summer is the busiest time of year for lost pets, and the Fourth of July consistently ranks among the most dangerous holidays for dogs and cats. Fireworks can frighten even well-behaved pets, causing them to panic, escape yards or homes, and become lost.

The warning comes as LifeLine’s Fulton and DeKalb County animal shelters continue to experience heavy intake. From May 2025 to May 2026, the number of cats brought to the shelters by field officers increased by nearly 58%. During the same period, owner dog surrenders at Fulton County Animal Services increased nearly 48%, with housing instability and financial hardship cited as the leading reasons families are forced to give up their pets.

“Our shelters are already operating under tremendous pressure,” said Tiki Artist, spokesperson for LifeLine Animal Project. “Every pet that stays safely at home this holiday weekend helps preserve valuable shelter space for animals that truly have nowhere else to go.”

To help ensure we have enough space, LifeLine Animal Project is offering $50 adoptions throughout July at Fulton County Animal Services (1251 Fulton Industrial Blvd NW), DeKalb County Animal Services (3280 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd), and LifeLine’s Community Animal Center (3280 Presidential Blvd.) All pets are spayed/neutered, microchipped and vaccinated—a $250 value!

LifeLine is also encouraging residents to become Friendly Finders when they encounter a lost pet. Research shows that most lost pets are found within a mile of home. Rather than immediately taking a found animal to a shelter, neighbors can often help reunite pets with their families more quickly by safely caring for them while searching for the owner. Search the neighborhood, check for a microchip, and post on social media to help reunite families without requiring a shelter stay

Residents can help keep pets safe this Fourth of July by:

• Keeping pets indoors before fireworks begin and providing a quiet, secure room away from loud noises.
• Making sure every pet wears a collar with a current ID tag.
• Verifying that your pet’s microchip registration is up to date with your current phone number and address.
• Registering your pet with Petco Love Lost, a free national database that uses AI-powered facial recognition technology and more than 500 unique visual markers to help reunite lost pets with their families.
• Consider adopting. Throughout July, all adoptions at LifeLine shelters are just $50, helping create much-needed space for pets who need it most.

For more information about July adoptions, lost pet resources, or available animals, visit LifeLineAnimal.org.

ABOUT LIFELINE ANIMAL PROJECT

Founded in 2002, LifeLine Animal Project is Georgia’s largest animal welfare nonprofit and the organization that operates the public animal shelters for Fulton and DeKalb counties – the only open-intake shelters serving those communities. LifeLine helps more than 46,000 pets each year, taking responsibility for every animal that enters the public shelter system. Beyond shelter operations, LifeLine leads the region in prevention-focused animal welfare, operating Georgia’s largest spay/neuter program and providing free and low-cost veterinary care through two clinics and a mobile unit. LifeLine’s community programs support pets and families with food, supplies, and access to care so that animals can remain safely in their homes whenever possible. LifeLine created the lifesaving infrastructure that Atlanta needed and continues to strengthen the system that allows animals to leave shelters alive. Learn more at LifeLineAnimal.org.