Finding Community at Lifeline

The concept of animal rescue is relatively recent. It used to be the norm for shelters to keep animals for a short while before euthanizing them, rather than working to rehabilitate them and reintroduce them to society. But the standards are beginning to change now, as animal rights activists work to end kill shelters and find homes for all but the most dangerous domesticated animals. One of these groups, operating in Atlanta, is the Lifeline Animal Project.

The Lifeline Animal Project, founded in 2002, is a non-profit organization that seeks to end the use of kill shelters in Atlanta. It bought the contract for Dekalb and Fulton county shelters in 2013, and since that time has increased adoptions by 150%, according to their website. And, as with most non-profits, Lifeline continues to succeed largely due to the efforts of its tight-knit volunteer community. Though volunteers may come from any number of backgrounds and ideological groups, they are united by a love of animals that binds the community together. They seek to help every domestic animal, whenever possible, find a forever home.

In order to become a member of the close-knit community of volunteers, one need only apply to Lifeline through their website. As long as there is no obvious barrier to entry, such as age or a criminal record involving animal abuse, Lifeline is likely to accept anyone who applies.

There are different roles within Lifeline, but most of them are fairly malleable and self-selected. There are foster families, dog-walkers, event coordinators, and social media outreach coordinators, just to name a few. Any of these can shift between any groups, but many enjoy working towards a single specific task. There is one core value that unites the group: animal lives are valuable and must be protected. This involves several sub-values, such as spaying and neutering animals to prevent unwanted offspring, helping animals to be safe and loved in whatever way you can, and helping others in your community to make animals feel safe and loved.

Lifeline volunteers strengthen their community through a variety of ways. They may lend a helping hand to a new volunteer, help foster homes find someone to watch their charge for a time, or transport animals to vet appointments or animal rescues. They form bonds over communal activities, such as group hikes with shelter dogs or events at which foster pets are showcased. And, of course, they stay in touch over Facebook — sharing pictures of dogs that they have walked, cats they foster, or even a rooster they helped transport to its new home, all helps volunteers to bond with their peers and create a connected community.

Though it may be a loosely-defined group of people, the Lifeline volunteer community is held together by its common goal: the care of animals.