There's been a flurry of activity at the Macon-Bibb Animal Shelter over the last few weeks. Un-adopted dogs were given a two week pardon from death row, but are now back on the clock for possible euthanasia.

The shelter was buzzing as some rescue groups came to pull some dogs out on Tuesday and give them a home. However, with the pardon ending, the dogs initially slated for death row could find themselves back on the list.

More than 20 dogs sat in cages after the pardon granted by Shane Smith's organization Paws for Hope and Faith expires.

"I knew it was coming,” Smith said. “I'm nervous and excited at the same time."

Smith said he is on pin and needles as phones at the shelter rang with people from around the nation calling to adopt or pull the dogs.

"Working on four or five different dogs at the same time going to five different directions all across the country and so you hope everything matches up,” he said.

Almost two weeks ago, shelter director Sarah Tenon granted the shelter its first pardon since Bibb County took over in July. The pardon stopped euthanasia for the time being, but now the stay of execution is over and Smith is figuring out last minute solutions.

"There's always a backup plan,” he said. “I have a hundred plans going through my head right now at the same time."

However all the plans lead up to one goal.

"Just pull(ing) them," Smith said.

Since the pardon, animal rescue groups around the country as well as people here in Middle Georgia have pulled the dogs and cats but it's not enough.

"While they're leaving through the back door through adoptions and rescues we're still bringing them in through the front door," Tenon said.

Smith and his wife Janet continued to update their Facebook followers about the animals but he said it's hard when the numbers fluctuate.

"They go up a little bit then they go down,” he said. “We're trying to get them to just go down."

Smith pulled six dogs from the shelter at the end of the day but, Tenon said 24 dogs need a home right now. There are currently no cats at the shelter. While the pardon is over, Tenon consented to not kill any dogs for 72 more hours while Smith works on finding all the canines a home.