Georgia’s active-license list includes more than 1,500 facilities, while the Department of Agriculture has 20 inspectors to cover them, deputy manager Jason Smith said. Licenses are issued to facilities rather than the people who run them, which can make it difficult for pet owners to follow an operator’s history across locations.
Cody Floyd said he left his pug, Arabella, at Hanson Hill Farms in Adairsville on Aug. 20 while he was out of town for work. The following day, he said, an emergency veterinarian told him Arabella had heat stroke, was brain dead and was having seizures. Floyd said he had to put her down over the phone.
Floyd filed a complaint with the state agriculture department, which led to an inspection. The owner of Hanson Hill Farms later wrote on Facebook that the department found zero infractions. That result was reported by the kennel owner; the source material does not include a separate account of the inspection’s findings.
The department said Georgia’s Animal Protection Act requires inspections and defines their scope. Smith said the agency works with local law enforcement and animal control to assess whether a case involves a regulatory issue or possible criminal violations.
Rebekah Little said her dog Eddie disappeared from a kennel in 2024 after the kennel owner, Heather Ralston, called her family while they were on vacation. Little said she never found Eddie. Records she obtained, she said, showed Ralston had operated without a license and that facilities associated with her had inspections and complaints during 2024.
Inspection records and the department’s active-license list show that a facility tied to Ralston received an active license on Sept. 16, 2026. Smith said a license is connected to a facility, not its operator.
Smith also said Georgia does not require certification for people opening kennels or dog-grooming businesses, and said the requirement could merit review. The department aims to inspect all facilities on its list within 12 months, but complaints receive priority. Smith said staff investigate complaints within 24 to 48 hours to determine whether department rules were violated.
The state can fine a kennel up to $1,000 for each violation. The agriculture department has a law-enforcement division and coordinates with local agencies, but local law enforcement often pursues criminal charges, according to the report.
Smith advised consumers to request public records about both a facility and its owners, and to research businesses online. Floyd urged people considering a kennel to check the facility and ask questions.
Marcus Jones
News Now Georgia
