Furkids was founded in 2002 by Samantha Shelton. Ms. Shelton was compelled to start a no-kill shelter after finding a stray mother cat and kittens and was unable to locate a shelter to take them in. She was spurred to action because of the challenging pet overpopulation problem that exists in Georgia.
Furkids' Main Goals:
- To provide a cage-free, no-kill shelter for our rescued animals where they can experience the best care in a loving environment until they are adopted.
- To find permanent, loving, homes for our rescued animals.
- To inform the public about pet overpopulation, promote sterilization and provide information for low-cost high-quality spay/neuter organizations.
Furkids began as a network of foster homes conducting adoptions primarily through the Petsmart Perimeter location. In 2003, we were invited to partner with a second Petsmart adoption center in Smyrna. We moved into a third Petsmart location in Midtown Atlanta in 2006 and in 2007, Petsmart Northlake invited us to take over their adoption center.
From rescuing 216 animals in our first year to 831 as of 2007 year end, we have always provided the best food, medical treatment and social environment for the animals in our care. At the end of 2004, Furkids secured the lease of a 5,000 sq. ft. facility. In April of 2006, renovations were complete and we officially opened the largest cage-free cat shelter in Georgia. Our new shelter allows us to increase the number of cats and kittens rescued and provide a colorful, cage-free, one-of-a-kind environment for our cats. Our dogs remain in foster homes until adopted. We are also one of the only shelters in the Southeast that has a room dedicated to cats with Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) with a capacity for 15 cats.
 March of 2007: Ms. Shelton, Founder and Executive Director of Furkids, receives a letter from Governor Sonny Perdue congratulating her on Furkids' success since the organization's inception date in 2002. |
Furkids is inspected and licensed annually by the Georgia Department of Agriculture and further adheres to additional recommendations from the Humane Society of the U.S. All of Furkids animal care procedures exceed state requirements.
A unique organization that is run almost entirely by volunteers, Furkids has two full-time employees. Over 100 volunteers take care of our animals weekly. Trained adoption counselors provide adopters with professional, individualized assistance to help them match an animal to their unique needs, and Furkids serves as a resource to the adopter for the life of the animal. As of 2007, close to 3,000 animals have found permanent homes through our rescue and adoption efforts.
Furkids has grown significantly over the past four years. More than 200 animals are cared for each day by our volunteers. Since 2002, close to 3,000 animals have been saved. More than 5,000 people a month visit our website, and Furkids fields, on average 50 phone calls and emails per day.
A 501(c)3 organization, Furkids' annual budget is approximately $200,000. Furkids has been confirmed as one of the top charities in America, by Independent Charities of America. All money to support the shelter comes from individual donors and is tax deductible under IRS code.
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