Atlanta Humane Society fetches $2.5 million from Arthur Blank Foundation

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The Atlanta Humane Society announced on Tuesday that it has received a $2.5 million grant from The Arthur Blank Foundation, which will be distributed across all 159 counties in the state.

The oldest non-religious nonprofit in Atlanta, which has served the city for 150 years and counting, provides free pet parent resources, affordable veterinary care, pet adoption, among other services.

“Thanks to the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation’s support, we’re building a future where every Georgia county has the tools and partnerships to better protect animals and serve our pet-loving communities,”  said Cal Morgan, president and CEO of Atlanta Humane Society, in the release.

Developed in 1995 by Home Depot Co-Founder Arthur M. Blank, the Atlanta-based philanthropy organization has donated more than $1.3 billion to charitable causes.

“We are honored to support the Atlanta Humane Society’s initiative to address the critical need for enhanced animal protection and community outreach across Georgia,” added Margaret Connelly, managing director of founder initiatives at the foundation, in a press statement. “This grant will help bridge essential gaps in services, ensuring every county has the resources to protect our animals.”

The grant will be primarily designated to expand the society’s Animal Protection Unit program, which is meant to address gaps in the state’s animal welfare infrastructure.

The key initiatives for the unit include increasing emergency sheltering by adding 150 new housing units for disaster and cruelty response; expanding cruelty investigations and disaster response coalitions into underserved regions; and distributing resources statewide to ensure shelters, rescues and community groups in every county can access affordable veterinary care.

In addition to renovations at Atlanta Humane Society’s Marietta location and a new central Georgia facility, another portion of funds will go toward enlisting law enforcement in Georgia’s 61 counties that currently lack animal control services. 

According to Christina Hill, vice president of marketing and communications for the animal nonprofit, 35% of Georgia’s counties have a limited number of or no animal control officers. Anecdotally, she added, the organization has seen slow responses to cruelty cases from counties without resource or training.

“Research has found that nearly half of law enforcement officers said they need more training on how to investigate animal cruelty cases,” she wrote in a statement to WABE.

Referring to the grant as a “truly impactful” gift, Hill hopes that it will help shape Georgia into a more caring place for pets and their owners.

“This is more than a grant,” noted Morgan, the president of Atlanta Humane Society. “It’s a statewide movement.”