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DeKalb County considering ordinance limiting number of litters

By FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team
Published  May 13, 2025 11:27am EDT
DeKalb County
FOX 5 Atlanta

The Brief

    • DeKalb County is considering an ordinance that would limit pet owners to one litter per year per female dog, cat, or rabbit unless they are licensed breeders or shelters.
    • The proposal would require pet owners to report all new litters to Animal Services.
    • A registry would be created to track litter details and owner information as part of the county’s effort to reduce animal overpopulation.

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - DeKalb County commissioners will consider a new ordinance aimed at curbing animal overpopulation during their meeting Tuesday, according to Decaturish.

What we know:

The proposed measure would limit pet owners to producing no more than one litter per year from a female dog, cat, or domestic rabbit — unless they are a licensed pet dealer or operate an animal shelter.

What we know:

Under the ordinance, pet owners would also be required to report any new litters to DeKalb County Animal Services. The county would create a public registry to track the litter’s details, including the owner’s information.

The ordinance is designed to reduce the number of unwanted animals and ease the burden on local shelters.

According to a post on DeKalb County Animal Services Facebook page, they had 522 dogs in their care as of Tuesday morning. If they are not able to get that number down to 475 by 8 p.m., they will be forced to "make heartbreaking decisions of euthanasia." They are asking people to come in and adopt a dog. 

The Source

  • Information for above story came from Decaturish, DeKalb County's meeting agenda, and DeKalb County Animal Services. 

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