Animal welfare organizations across metro Denver seeking community help to reduce animal overcrowding in local shelters.
The Metro Denver Animal Welfare Alliance (MDAWA) announced today that all of its major shelters including Aurora Animal Services, Denver Animal Shelter, the Dumb Friends League, Foothills Animal Shelter, the Humane Society of Boulder Valley, the Humane Society of South Platte Valley and Riverdale Animal Shelter are experiencing critical overcrowding with their dog populations. Collectively these shelters are seeing significant increases in the numbers of dogs surrendered by their owners, stray dogs arriving at shelters, and the amount of time dogs are spending in their care. At the same time, many shelters are experiencing decreases in the number of dog adoptions.
In Aurora’s Animal Shelter from 2021 to 2022, owner surrendered dogs increased more than 35 percent. Stray impounds rose more than 17 percent during this same time period.
Between May 2022 and May 2023, the Denver Animal Shelter saw an increase of 29 percent in stray impounds as well as a 120 percent increase in owner surrenders.
“In 2019, the Dumb Friends League provided 61,000 days of shelter care for dogs,” said Dumb Friends League President and CEO Dr. Apryl Steele. “In the last year, this has increased by 50 percent with more than 92,000 days of care needed to meet the needs of our community. Dogs are waiting for their new families longer which is difficult on the dog and is straining the shelter and those caring for homeless
animals.”
Foothills Animal Shelter reported a year-to-date increase in dog intakes of 17 percent, 33 percent more owner surrenders, and 10 percent more stray and community resource intakes.
In 2022, Riverdale Animal Shelter’s length of stay for adult dogs increased by 63 percent compared to the combined annual averages from the prior four years. While adoptions were up 14 percent between 2021 and 2022, owner surrenders increased 28 percent during this same time period.
These trends are not just affecting metro Denver shelters but are also being seen statewide according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture. Between 2021 and 2022, the number of stray dogs increased by nearly 32 percent in Colorado, affecting shelters across the state.
According to MDAWA, these increases in pet intakes and longer shelter stays can mostly be attributed to economic barriers including housing instability. Rising housing costs, breed/weight restrictions, increases in pet rent, and other factors are often forcing Coloradans to make difficult decisions regarding their pets. The Dumb Friends League reported that almost 2,000 animals relinquished to their shelters in 2022 were surrendered as a result of housing challenges.“MDAWA shelters are feeling the pressure of growing pet populations and ask that if community members have room in their homes and hearts, they consider adopting a pet from a local shelter,” said Stephanie Wilde, Director at the Riverdale Animal Shelter.
MDAWA seeks to keep pets in their homes and encourages pet owners who may be facing the need to relinquish a pet to first reach out to their local shelter and inquire about available resources such as food, pet supplies, and health care. Many MDAWA shelters are also asking those who can foster dogs at this time to sign up to volunteer with their local shelter.
About the Metro Denver Animal Welfare Alliance
MDAWA is a coalition of 25 public and private shelters, rescue groups and other animal welfare service providers with the mission to work together to promote humane care for animals in the community through collaboration, education, advocacy and resource sharing. To learn more about MDAWA and its partners, please visit http://www.mdawalliance.org/.
