Have you been thinking about adopting a dog? Now may be the perfect time. The Aurora Animal Shelter has reduced its adoption fee to $30 for all adult dogs 6 months and older until Valentine’s Day to help open up more kennel space.
The Aurora Animal Shelter is experiencing an unusually high number of dogs in its care, and is also undergoing a required building-maintenance construction project that is limiting dog-kennel space. As such, the shelter is at capacity and unable to take any owner-surrender dogs at this time. In addition, lost/stray dogs will only be accepted as space allows, so residents should call the shelter to check on availability before bringing in stray pets. It is estimated that the construction project will be completed by Jan. 16, and the shelter will reassess kennel space at that time.
During the holiday season, it is common to see an increase in owner surrenders as many families are traveling, receiving pets as gifts or getting pets for their own families as gifts without having the ability to provide the time, training and attention needed. For the sake of capacity of shelters across the Front Range, city staff recommend that families consider alternatives before surrendering to an animal shelter and do research before adding a new animal to their home. Additionally:
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Residents who are considering surrendering a pet due to financial hardship should consider the Aurora Animal Shelter’s food bank, which offers pet food and supplies thanks to the community's generosity. To access the food bank, please call 303.326.8280 to check availability.
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Residents who are missing a pet should consider posting on social media lost-and-found pages, Pawboost and Nextdoor; and check the websites of regional shelters for found animals (including shelters that may not seem very close).
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Residents who have found a pet should post the pet on social media lost and found pages, Pawboost and Nextdoor; ask neighbors if they recognize the animal; and have the pet scanned for a microchip at a local vet’s office or at the shelter. Call the shelter at 303.326.8280 for updates on availability to accept lost pets.
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Residents who wish to donate to the shelter can check out the shelter’s Amazon Wish List linked at AuroraAnimalShelter.org by clicking the Donate button. The wish list includes items in high demand that will directly impact the animals in the shelter’s care.
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All residents with pets are encouraged to have their pets microchipped, ensure their pet’s microchip information is up to date (https://www.aaha.org/your-pet/pet-microchip-lookup/microchip-search), and check the information on their pet’s tag.
Follow the Aurora Animal Shelter at Facebook.com/AuroraCOAnimalShelter or visit AuroraAnimalShelter.org for updates.
Contact the Aurora Animal Shelter with questions at 303.326.8280 or [email protected].