What LifeLine Animal Project does

LifeLine Animal Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2002 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, operating as Georgia's largest animal welfare organization. The organization manages DeKalb County Animal Services and Fulton County Animal Services — Atlanta's only open-intake shelters — as well as the LifeLine Community Animal Center, a dedicated Spay & Neuter Clinic in College Park, and mobile vaccine clinics. Its mission is to end the euthanasia of healthy and treatable animals, achieved in part by raising shelter lifesaving rates from 39%/61% at county takeover (2013) to a 90.7% rate in 2025, surpassing the recognized 90% No-Kill threshold.

The organization's service portfolio spans intake and adoption (11,246 adoptions and 20,497 intake across both county shelters in 2025), low-cost spay/neuter surgery (nearly 15,000 procedures annually across Georgia, scaling toward 6,000 at full capacity through a $1.18M DeKalb County contract expansion in April 2026), community cat trap-neuter-return, lost-pet reunification (2,568 reunions in 2025), and self-rehoming assistance via the Rehome by Adopt a Pet platform. A foster network of 1,300+ homes and programs such as the 100 Club (free adoptions for long-stay dogs), Trial Adoption, Friendly Finders, and Dog for the Day provide behavioral decompression and demand-shifting capacity. Revenue combines county government contracts, individual donations and corporate sponsorships, adoption fees ($65-$85), grants, and event-based fundraising such as the Good Human Gala and the LuckyOne Lemonade partnership that delivered a $500,000 donation in 2025.

Name

LifeLine Animal Project

Legal name

LifeLine Animal Project

Website

https://lifelineanimal.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

LifeLine Animal Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates DeKalb and Fulton County Animal Services — Atlanta's only open-intake shelters — along with spay/neuter clinics, mobile vaccine units, and a 1,300+ home foster network serving more than 46,000 animals annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Support: Primary revenue stream from individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and fundraising campaigns. The organization relies on charitable support to sustain and expand lifesaving work.
2. County Government Contracts: Contracts with DeKalb and Fulton Counties to manage animal services facilities, providing base funding ($1.18 million annually from DeKalb County alone).
3. Adoption Fees: Fees from pet adoptions ranging from $40-$85 for standard adoptions, with various fee-waived promotions for seniors, long-stay animals, and special events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

LifeLine Animal Project operates DeKalb and Fulton County Animal Services (Atlanta's only open-int intake shelters) and the LifeLine Community Animal Center, providing animal sheltering, adoption, foster care, spay/neuter, and veterinary services. The organization runs mobile vaccine clinics, community cat trap-neuter-return programs, lost pet reunification, and pet retention support for low-income residents across metro Atlanta. Its mission is to prevent the euthanasia of healthy and treatable animals through shelter operations, low-cost veterinary care, and community outreach programs.

Product overview

LifeLine Animal Project is Georgia's largest animal welfare organization operating as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that manages DeKalb and Fulton County Animal Services (open-intake county shelters), the Community Animal Center (overflow/special needs facility), and provides community outreach programs. The organization offers animal sheltering, adoption, and reunification services alongside affordable veterinary care including spay/neuter clinics and mobile vaccine units. Core programs include foster care (for dogs, cats, and special needs animals), trial and standard adoption, the 100 Club (free adoptions for long-stay dogs), and Take 'Em Home Tuesdays (free weekly adoptions). Community services encompass trap-neuter-return for community cats, lost pet reunification, pet rehoming assistance, and community support resources. The organization hosts annual events including the Good Human Gala and Spooky Pooch 5K, and participates in the national Clear The Shelters initiative. Services are accessible across multiple shelter locations and through various community events throughout metro Atlanta.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DeKalb County Animal Services Open-intake municipal animal shelter operated under contract with DeKalb County, providing animal control, intake, sheltering, adoption, and lost pet reunification services for county residents.
• Fulton County Animal Services Open-intake municipal animal shelter operated under contract with Fulton County, providing animal control, intake, sheltering, adoption, and lost pet reunification services for county residents.
• Pet Adoption Core adoption service placing shelter animals into permanent homes; dog adoption ($85) and cat adoption ($65) include spay/neuter surgery, microchip, vaccinations, dewormer, and flea/tick prevention.
• Spay and Neuter Clinic Low-cost spay and neuter surgical services provided at the LifeLine Spay & Neuter Clinic in College Park for pet owners seeking affordable veterinary procedures.
• Mobile Vaccine Clinic Mobile veterinary unit deploying into high-need neighborhoods to provide free vaccinations, spay/neuter services, microchips, and pet food at community events.
• Foster Care Program Foster care program placing shelter dogs and cats into volunteer homes for temporary care, including short-term fostering, long-term fostering, medical/fospice fostering, and bottle baby programs.
• Found Pet Reunification Lost pet assistance service providing microchip scanning, lost pet alerts, owner notifications, and facial recognition matching through Petco Love Lost integration to reunite lost pets with families.
• Community Cats TNR Program Trap-Neuter-Return program for unowned free-roaming cats, providing spay/neuter surgery, vaccinations, and ear tipping before returning cats to their outdoor environment.
• Community Support Program Outreach program helping Fulton and DeKalb county residents retain their pets through pet supplies assistance, behavior tips, housing support, and referrals to low-cost veterinary care.
• Family to Family Pet Rehoming Pet rehoming assistance helping pet owners find new homes for their pets without surrendering to a shelter, utilizing the Rehome.Adoptapet.com platform with discounted listings.
• Healthy Pets Events Free community events held bi-annually providing vaccines, spay/neuter surgeries, microchips, and pet food for underserved pet owners across metro Atlanta.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90.7% lifesaving rate achieved in 2025 (90% is the national No-Kill standard)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.

• LuckyOne Lemonade (Spirit of Gallo)flagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 29 April 2025LuckyOne Lemonade, created by Spirit of Gallo and Dave Portnoy (who adopted Miss Peaches), pledged to raise $1 million for dog rescue organizations including LifeLine Animal Project and Best Friends Animal Society through the 'Our Pack Gives Back' initiative. LifeLine received a $500,000 donation from this partnership. Product is available nationwide at $10.99 for 4-pack and $19.99 for 8-pack.
• Best Friends Animal SocietyflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 29 April 2025Named as co-beneficiary of LuckyOne Lemonade's $1 million 'Our Pack Gives Back' fundraising initiative alongside LifeLine Animal Project.
• Haverty'sminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership to help promote adoptable dogs from DeKalb County Animal Services through social media and a special shelter pup photoshoot at their warehouse. All featured dogs found homes.
• Georgia Pet Coalition, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Collaborated on high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter (HQHVSN) training events; partnered on DeKalb County Spay-A-Thons where 195 pets received surgeries over two days.
• United Spay AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnered on HQHVSN training events and spay/neuter initiatives in Georgia.
• Georgia Veterinary Medical AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership on HQHVSN training event at Community Animal Center, bringing together veterinarian trainers and trainees from across the state.
• Two Chicks and a PackminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFriends of LifeLine providing training services for pet parents, focused on building physical, social, and mental stimulation in a natural setting. Recommended for Weekend Warriors participants.
• PetSmart (Roswell)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegular dog adoption events hosted at PetSmart Roswell location, providing venue for community adoption opportunities.
• Taproom CoffeeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMonthly adoption event venue in Kirkwood neighborhood, hosting dog adoptions on first Saturday of each month 10am-12pm with foster pets present.
• Pets for PatriotsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership supporting U.S. military veterans with fee-waived adoptions, pet gift cards, and discounts on pet care for eligible Pets for Patriots members.
• DeKalb CountyflagshipOthersCounty government contract for animal services management. Approved $1.18 million annual funding to expand spay/neuter capacity from 1,000 to 4,800-6,000 surgeries annually; expand mobile veterinary clinics and community outreach in high-need neighborhoods. LifeLine has managed the shelter for 13 years.
• Fulton CountyflagshipOthersCounty government contract for animal services management. New 40,000 sq ft shelter opened end of 2023. LifeLine manages open-intake shelter operations.
• Commissioner Michelle Long SpearscoreOthersDeKalb County Commissioner who helped secure funding for spay-a-thons, free pet food bank, and free spay/neuter surgeries through SNIP DeKalb; supported Pet Neighborhood annex project.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• PetSmart Charities: National grantmaking organization supporting adoptions and access to veterinary care through PetSmart-hosted events—LifeLine hosts PetSmart Roswell adoption events, indicating overlapping operational footprint.
• Maddie's Fund: Major national animal welfare grantmaker supporting no-kill shelter initiatives—strategic funder and ideological peer for lifesaving-rate-driven shelters.
• Humane Society of the United States: National animal welfare advocacy and program organization; not a direct shelter competitor but a policy and grantmaking peer that shapes the funding and regulatory environment for shelter operators.
• ASPCA: National animal welfare incumbent with broader scope (advocacy, grantmaking, mobile spay/neuter) but overlapping shelter and adoption services, and a federally chartered structure.
• Petco Love: National animal welfare grantmaking arm of Petco that funds shelters nationally (including integrations with LifeLine via Petco Love Lost)—a strategic funder/comparator shaping the donor ecosystem.

Direct peers

• Austin Pets Alive!: Large no-kill shelter operating innovative adoption, foster, and community programs in a major metro—analogous operating model in lifesaving focus, scale, and program breadth.
• Best Friends Animal Society: National no-kill animal welfare organization that operates sanctuary and shelter programs, runs community lifesaving initiatives, and is co-beneficiary with LifeLine of the LuckyOne Lemonade 'Our Pack Gives Back' $1M pledge—directly comparable mission and partnership positioning.
• Atlanta Humane Society: Local Atlanta animal welfare organization directly competing for adoptions, donors, and volunteers in the same metro service area as LifeLine—a primary same-market competitor.
• Kansas City Pet Project: Municipal shelter management organization operating the Kansas City animal shelter with high lifesaving rate focus—comparable public-private hybrid model.
• Charleston Animal Society: Regional open-admission shelter combining municipal contract management with adoption, spay/neuter, and community education programs—similar hybrid operating model in another metro.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lifelineanimal
• YouTubeyoutube.com/lifelineanimal
• Facebookfacebook.com/LifeLineAnimalProject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lifeline-animal-project/mycompany
• Instagraminstagram.com/lifelineanimal
• TikToktiktok.com/@lifelineanimal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LifeLine Animal Project