Fulton County commissioners voted 5-0 in August to speed the release of dogs held as evidence in cruelty cases at the county shelter.

The unanimous vote directs the county attorney's office to work with LifeLine Animal Project on a process for filing cost-of-care petitions within two weeks of seizing an animal, according to a WABE investigation published Aug. 31. The petitions shift the cost of housing seized animals from taxpayers to the accused owner. If court-ordered payments go unpaid, the animal can be forfeited and placed for adoption.

The policy matters for Roswell residents who rely on Fulton County Animal Services. Dogs caught up in criminal cases occupy kennel space that could go to strays and owner surrenders, driving the shelter closer to capacity and putting other animals at risk.

At one point this summer, the shelter held 42 dogs tied to court cases. Only seven had been placed in foster homes. Volunteer Hilary Phillips, who has pushed for faster placement of those animals, told WABE the backlog has ripple effects across the entire facility.

"If those court case dogs were not there, there would have been no, not one, capacity-based euthanasia list in Fulton for the whole year," Phillips said.

A capacity-based euthanasia list is the shelter's last resort when kennel space runs out and no foster or adopter steps forward.

Georgia's Cost of Animal Care Law has allowed these petitions since 2016. But Jessica Rock, animal crimes resource prosecutor for the Prosecuting Attorneys Council of Georgia, told WABE the process has been plagued by confusion statewide over who should file and when. Rock confirmed the responsibility falls on the county attorney.

County Attorney Soo Jo told commissioners her office is down one attorney in the animal services division and is recruiting to fill the position. WABE reported that Jo had not answered earlier questions about why her office had not filed more petitions.

LifeLine Animal Project, the nonprofit that manages the shelter, said caring for animals costs about $40 a day. Spokesperson Timyka Artist declined to discuss the court-case dogs specifically.

The next Fulton County Board of Commissioners meeting is Wednesday, Sept. 2, at 10 a.m. at the Government Center Assembly Hall. Residents can attend in person or submit comments via Zoom.