In 1966, six citizens of Dekalb County, concerned about the inhumane treatment of animals, created the Dekalb Humane Society. Troubled by the large number of stray, abandoned and neglected animals roaming the streets and woods, they were determined to do something about the problem. They made it their mission to educate the public about the humane treatment of animals, to foster unwanted pets and place them in permanent homes, and to curb pet overpopulation by spaying or neutering all animals that they placed for adoption.

Since that time the DHS has grown quite a bit. A four-acre site on Covington Highway now houses the shelter and offices, making it the largest shelter in the metro area. When the no-kill movement began, DHS knew it was the way to go and soon became a no-kill shelter, now the oldest in metro Atlanta.

For years DHS has been working with other rescue groups in the metro area, offering their services and assistance to those they can help, but their name implied to many people that DHS was just for Dekalb County, even a county run facility. To avoid confusion and to emphasize the metro-wide focus of the organization, they have decided to change their name. Beginning March 1, the name of the organization became PAWS Atlanta.

Last summer Jeff Roberts was hired as executive director, and he brought with him years of experience and a lot of ideas about ways to make PAWS Atlanta an even better organization. Jeff has been in the animal rescue and welfare field for over twenty years, and was formerly the executive director of Good Mews Animal Foundation, a feline rescue group located in Marietta.

The Cat Cottage has been remodeled, with new lighting, fresh paint, and wall murals giving the rooms a brighter and cheerier look. Gone are the cages, replaced by wall perches and vertical cat furniture that the cats can climb on, with carpeted perches on which to nap. The cats can roam free in the rooms in a more homelike environment, and people coming to adopt can get a better idea of a cat’s personality.

Outdoor pens have been built in the center courtyard so that some of the dogs can spend time outdoors on nice days. The pens have picket fences around them, and when they hear someone coming the dogs stand up on their back legs and look over the fence to see who it is. People visiting the shelter often find a line of dog faces looking at them over the fence as they approach the office. It is a pretty appealing sight.

New off-site adoption days have been added to get the animals additional exposure and opportunities to find a home. They go to the Northlake Petsmart every Saturday from noon to 3:00, and now go to the Buckhead Petsmart on the second and fourth Sunday of each month from noon to 3:00.

There is a lot more coming from PAWS Atlanta in the coming months as Jeff implements changes and makes improvements. A believer in the need to form an alliance or coalition with other members of the rescue community in order to work together to bring about needed change, he is ready to work with others who understand that this the way to get things done.