Inside Furkids’ New State-of-the-Art Dog Shelter

Furkids Animal Rescue & Shelters is entering a transformational new chapter with the opening of the Sutherlin Dog Shelter, a first-of-its-kind facility designed to rethink how rescue dogs are housed, cared for, and introduced to future adopters.

Opening June 4, 2026, on Furkids’ 9-acre sanctuary, the 15,000-square-foot Sutherlin Dog Shelter replaces traditional kennel-style housing with private rooms for every dog, thoughtfully designed play group suites and yards, dedicated grooming areas, training and enrichment spaces, quarantine and isolation capabilities, and safer walking access beside the Big Creek Greenway trailhead. The new shelter nearly doubles Furkids’ dog capacity from 65 to 135 dogs while consolidating operations onto one centralized campus for the first time in the organization’s history. The opening day celebration will begin with a private ribbon cutting ceremony followed by a heartwarming caravan transporting approximately 50 rescue dogs to their new home, where they will settle into their individual rooms and explore the new facility for the very first time.

What began more than two decades ago with founder Samantha Shelton rescuing a frightened family of cats from her porch has grown into one of the most innovative animal welfare organizations in the Southeast. Today, Furkids operates Georgia’s largest no-kill shelter, the Southeast’s largest cage-free sanctuary for cats, and one of the region’s most expansive volunteer-driven rescue operations, powered by more than 1,000 active volunteers each week. Furkids has rescued and cared for more than 80,000 animals since its founding in 2002.

More than a shelter, the Furkids campus was envisioned as both a sanctuary for animals and a gathering place for the community, where rescue, healing, volunteering, education, and connection exist side by side. Along with adoption and medical facilities, the property is home to Shiloh Gardens, Furkids’ event and gathering space that regularly hosts weddings, celebrations, and community events that introduce new audiences and help fuel the organization’s lifesaving mission.

“For years, we’ve dreamed about creating a space where dogs could truly decompress, heal, and experience comfort while waiting for their future families,” says Samantha Shelton, founder and president of Furkids Animal Rescue & Shelters. “Every decision inside this building was made with the animals in mind, from giving each dog its own room to creating safer outdoor spaces, enrichment areas, and opportunities for real human connection. This isn’t just about a new building. It’s about changing what sheltering can look and feel like for the animals in our care and for the people who walk alongside them.”

The opening marks the largest expansion of dog operations in Furkids’ history and addresses longstanding limitations at the organization’s former shelter location, which Furkids assumed after acquiring Small Dog Rescue in 2011. While the facility helped save thousands of animals over the years, the organization quickly outgrew the space, which lacked proper quarantine capabilities, meet-and-greet areas, adequate parking, and safe outdoor walking access for volunteers and dogs. Dogs were housed in traditional runs that often increased stress and limited meaningful interaction with potential adopters.

The Sutherlin Dog Shelter was intentionally designed to support both the emotional wellbeing of the dogs and the overall adoption experience. Public-friendly walkthrough areas, dedicated meet-and-greet spaces, workflow-driven operational design, separate indoor and outdoor enrichment areas for large and small dogs, resin flooring, turf yards, and specialized cooling technology all contribute to a calmer, healthier, and more engaging environment for both animals and visitors.

The opening of the Sutherlin Dog Shelter also marks a major step in Furkids’ broader vision for animal welfare. In the coming months, Furkids will continue expanding its campus with the Giaquinto Medical Center, which will centralize veterinary operations and expand medical capabilities, as well as a future Community Clinic expected to open in 2027. The clinic will provide affordable veterinary care, low-cost spay and neuter services, wellness care, and support for community cats and low-resourced pet owners throughout the region. Together, these projects represent the largest expansion in Furkids history and will significantly increase the organization’s capacity to save vulnerable animals across Georgia while helping address many of the challenges that lead animals into shelters in the first place. Additional details surrounding a larger public celebration and community open house will be announced in the coming weeks as Furkids continues expanding its campus and long-term vision for animal rescue, veterinary care, and community engagement.

As Furkids expands its lifesaving capacity, the organization is calling on the community to help meet the growing need through fostering, volunteering, donations, wishlist purchases, and future naming opportunities tied to the ongoing capital campaign.

“This has never been just about rescuing animals,” adds Shelton. “It’s about creating a place where compassion becomes part of everyday life, where animals are given dignity and people feel connected to something larger than themselves. We hope what’s being built here encourages people to rethink what animal rescue can look and feel like for both animals and the communities around them.”

For more information about Furkids Animal Rescue & Shelters, ways to get involved, or to donate, visit Furkids and follow along on Instagram at @furkidsatlanta.