Planned PEThood of Georgia says first-half 2026 animals served jumped 65%

Planned PEThood of Georgia says it helped 9,505 cats and dogs in the first half of 2026, up 65% from a year earlier, as demand surged for affordable veterinary care, spay/neuter surgery and prevention services. The Duluth-based nonprofit also expanded mobile and community outreach programs and added surgical capacity to keep more pets out of shelters.

Why it matters: - Planned PEThood of Georgia says prevention-focused veterinary care can keep pets healthy, reduce unwanted litters and limit the number of animals entering shelters. - The nonprofit’s first-half 2026 results show rising demand for low-cost care across metro Atlanta and nearby Georgia counties. - More surgical capacity and outreach could allow Planned PEThood to serve additional communities.

What happened: - Planned PEThood of Georgia released its 2026 first-half impact report on July 20, 2026. - The Duluth-based 501(c)(3) says it served 9,505 unique cats and dogs from January through June. - That total includes animals reached through the affordable veterinary clinic, mobile spay/neuter services, community outreach, rescue work and Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return services. - The organization says the 9,505 animals helped represent a 65% increase from the first half of 2025.

The details: - Planned PEThood completed 4,554 low-cost spay/neuter surgeries in the first half, nearly double the number from the same period last year. - The FIDO Mobile Spay/Neuter Clinic, launched in February, completed 734 surgeries and increased overall surgical capacity by 16%. - Planned PEThood now employs four full-time veterinarians. - The clinic in Duluth completed 6,949 affordable and free wellness appointments, up 61% year over year. - The low-cost TNVR program expanded from one surgery day a week to three and completed 581 community cat surgeries, a 108% increase from last year. - Five free community outreach clinics provided vaccines and preventive care to 923 pets in underserved communities including Banks County, Gwinnett County, Jackson County and White County. - The rescue program treated and placed 186 cats and kittens, including companion cats and working barn cats. - Planned PEThood educated 83 foster caregivers and pet owners through neonatal kitten care classes. - CEO CJ Bentley said every number in the report represents a life changed and credited staff, volunteers and the community for the results. - Bentley also said donations from individuals, businesses and foundations make the nonprofit’s work possible. - Bentley thanked supporters and sponsors including PetSmart Charities, Petco Love, Petfinder, FIDO Fixers, Sunstate Foundation, Marvin Lim, Angels Among Us Pet Rescue, WEG, The Mug-Z-Moo Fund and hundreds of individual donors. - The full 2026 First Half Impact Report is available at PEThoodGA.org/Reports. - Donations can be made at PEThoodGA.org/Give.

Between the lines: - The report shows Planned PEThood leaning harder into prevention instead of waiting to rescue animals after they become homeless. - The mix of surgery, wellness care, TNVR and outreach suggests the nonprofit is trying to attack shelter intake from multiple angles at once. - The 16% surgical-capacity boost from the mobile clinic suggests Planned PEThood can scale further if funding and partnerships keep pace.

What's next: - Planned PEThood says it has room to serve more communities and is seeking partnerships with neighboring counties, shelters and rescue groups. - The nonprofit says future donations will fund affordable veterinary care, outreach, rescue and spay/neuter programs. - Planned PEThood expects that prevention work will keep pets healthy, help families stay together and reduce shelter crowding.