State State

Actions

Colorado animal shelters at capacity heading into holiday season

Whether it's fostering an animal, being mindful about where you get a new family pet, or helping track down the owner of stays, Colorado shelters need the community's help.
dog.png
Posted
and last updated

AURORA, Colo. — This time of year can be particularly challenging for animal shelters as people search for pets as holiday presents, and some ultimately give them up when they're not a good fit.

"It's not just certain shelters; it's all shelters," said Kella Manfredi with PawsCo Animal Rescue. "We help. We foster as much as we possibly can because right now. Even rescues are in a situation where we have a lot of owner relinquishments or strays. People are reaching out to rescues, and we're saying we're at capacity as well."

One of the shelters at capacity is the Aurora Animal Shelter. The more than 40-year-old building can accommodate less than 90 kennels, which are often at maximum capacity.

Relief is coming with designs for a completely new facility. As fundraising for the $30 million project continues, the Aurora Animal Shelter hopes the community can do their part to help.

People are being asked to do what they can to help return stray animals to their owners before dropping them off at a shelter. In addition to checking the animal's tags and asking neighbors, there are other steps people can take:

  • If a stray animal is found, bring them to a veterinarian clinic where they can scan for a microchip.
  • If you can, keep the stray and take care of it while posting "found pet" ads online.
  • If you must turn in a stray to a shelter, call ahead to ensure there's even room.

If a new cat or dog is on your family's wishlist this holiday season, there's another way you can help.
"We ask that you rescue. We ask that you go to a shelter. If you're like, 'I need to find a specific animal.' We have them. If you're looking for puppies, we have them," said Manfredi.

Right now, dogs have been staying at the packed Aurora Animal Shelter for more than a month. To donate to the Aurora Animal Shelter for pet resources, click here.

Aurora City Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky told Denver7 there's an effort to create a separate donation effort to fund the new shelter. Right now, the city is trying to identify all the funding sources it can to move forward with the project.

The new Aurora Animal Shelter facility would take about three years to build if fully funded.


Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what's right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.