Animal Shelters List – Denver, CO

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Animal Shelters List – Denver, CO

The Animal Shelters List is a PDF from City and County of Denver Animal Services that lists area animal shelters, the services each offers and the 5-day hold rule for lost pets. View and download the official PDF on this page.
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The Animal Shelters List is a two-page PDF published by City and County of Denver Animal Services. It names the animal shelters around Denver, gives their addresses and websites, and marks which ones handle lost and found animals, spay and neuter, or behavior and training information. It is meant for anyone who has lost a pet or found a stray. On FillingPDF you can view and download the official PDF; the list itself is published by the agency at denvergov.org, and there is nothing to complete or file.

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What is Animal Shelters List – Denver, CO?

The Animal Shelters List is a reference sheet from City and County of Denver Animal Services that lists the animal shelters serving the Denver area, with each shelter's street address and website, the services it offers and a map of the surrounding counties. It is an information document, not an application.

The first page lists the shelters in the Denver area and nearby cities. Service codes mark what each member offers besides sheltering: (L/F) Lost and Found, (S/N) Spay and Neuter and (B) Behavior and Training information. Shelters named on it include:

  • Denver Animal Shelter, 1241 W Bayaud Ave, Denver, CO 80223;
  • Humane Colorado and MaxFund Animal Adoption Shelter, both in Denver;
  • Foothills Animal Shelter in Golden;
  • Aurora Animal Shelter;
  • Humane Society Boulder Valley in Boulder, Longmont Humane Society in Longmont, Intermountain Humane Society in Pine, Riverdale Animal Shelter in Brighton and a South Platte Valley humane society in Littleton.

The page also carries a notice titled "Don't wait if your pet becomes lost!" Denver's ordinance requires the shelter to hold an animal for 5 days before it becomes the shelter's property. After that the animal can be adopted out, and the new owner legally does not have to give it back.

The second page shows the area counties on a map. A blue dot inside a county marks the animal shelter that serves it. Much of the text is printed in English and Spanish. The footer lists Denver Animal Shelter general inquiries at 720-913-1311 and officer dispatch at 720-913-2080.

Who needs to file Animal Shelters List – Denver, CO?

People who have lost a pet use this list to find the shelters to check. The list tells them to look first at the shelter closest to where the animal went missing, then to check other shelters as needed.

People who have found an animal use it to find the right shelter. The list says to take a found animal to the shelter closest to where you found it.

Anyone looking for spay and neuter services or behavior and training information can use the service codes (S/N) and (B) to see which shelters offer them. The list says only that some members provide these services, so check each entry's codes.

The list is a directory. It does not need to be signed, filed or returned to any office, and it gives no eligibility rules for using a shelter.

When to file Animal Shelters List – Denver, CO

Use the list as soon as a pet goes missing or you find a stray. The list is blunt about timing: Denver's ordinance requires the shelter to hold your animal for 5 days before it becomes the shelter's property. After that, your pet can be adopted out to another family, and the new owner legally does not have to return it.

No filing deadline applies, because the list is not submitted. The 5-day hold is the only time limit it prints.

How to fill out Animal Shelters List – Denver, CO

  1. Open the official PDF

    View or download the Animal Shelters List from the link on this page. It has two pages: the shelter list and the county map.

  2. Find the shelter closest to you

    Use the county map on page two. A blue dot inside a county marks the shelter that serves it. For a lost pet, pick the shelter nearest where it went missing; for a found animal, the one nearest where you found it.

  3. Check the services codes

    On page one, read the codes after each shelter name: (L/F) Lost and Found, (S/N) Spay and Neuter, (B) Behavior and Training information.

  4. Contact or visit the shelter

    Use the address, phone number and website printed in the entry. If your pet is lost, act quickly: the shelter holds an animal for 5 days under Denver's ordinance.

How to submit Animal Shelters List – Denver, CO

Nothing is submitted: the Animal Shelters List is a directory, and you use it to contact or visit a shelter.

  • In person: go to the shelter closest to where your pet went missing or where you found an animal. Addresses are printed for each shelter.
  • By phone or website: each entry gives its own phone number and website. Denver Animal Shelter, 1241 W Bayaud Ave, Denver, CO 80223, lists general inquiries at 720-913-1311 and officer dispatch at 720-913-2080 in the footer of the list.
  • More resources: the Denver Animal Services resources page links to PDFs such as Lost Pet Help (English/Spanish) and Found Kittens? Here's What to Do.

FillingPDF lets you view and download the official PDF; any contact with a shelter follows the channels above.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Waiting to look for a lost pet. Denver's ordinance lets the shelter hold an animal only 5 days before it becomes the shelter's property and can be adopted out.
  • Assuming a lost pet adopted out after the hold can be reclaimed. The list says the new owner legally does not have to give the animal back.
  • Checking only one shelter for a lost pet. After the closest one, the list says to check other shelters as needed.
  • Taking a found animal to a shelter far away instead of the one closest to where you found it, as the list directs.
  • Assuming every shelter on the list offers lost and found, spay and neuter, and behavior information. Only the shelters marked (L/F), (S/N) or (B) provide them.
  • Searching a shelter far from where the animal went missing first. The list says to start with the closest shelter to that location.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Denver Animal Shelters List?

It is a two-page PDF from City and County of Denver Animal Services listing area animal shelters with addresses, websites and the services each offers, plus a county map. It also explains Denver's 5-day hold for lost animals.

Where do I take a stray animal I found in Denver?

Take it to the animal shelter closest to where you found it. The list says to do this always, and its county map shows, with blue dots, which shelter serves each county.

How long does Denver hold a lost pet at the shelter?

Five days. Denver's ordinance requires the shelter to hold your animal for 5 days before it becomes the shelter's property. After that the pet can be adopted out to another family, and the new owner does not have to return it.

Where should I look first if my pet is lost?

Check the animal shelter closest to the location where your pet went missing. Then check other animal shelters as needed. The list warns you not to wait, because of the 5-day hold.

What do L/F, S/N and B mean on the shelter list?

They mark extra services a shelter provides: (L/F) Lost and Found, (S/N) Spay and Neuter and (B) Behavior and Training information. A shelter without a code for a service is not listed as offering it.

Which phone numbers does the list give for Denver Animal Shelter?

The footer lists general inquiries at 720-913-1311 and officer dispatch at 720-913-2080, with the shelter at 1241 W Bayaud Ave, Denver, CO 80223, and the website DenverAnimalShelter.org.

Is the shelter list available in Spanish?

Parts of it are. The hold-period notice and the instructions for lost and found animals are printed in both English and Spanish. The agency's resources page also links to English/Spanish PDFs such as Lost Pet Help.

Can I fill out or file the Animal Shelters List on FillingPDF?

No. It is an information sheet with nothing to complete or file. FillingPDF lets you view and download the official PDF but is not connected to Denver Animal Services and does not contact shelters for you.

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