Denver Animal Shelter reported a roughly 16% increase in pet surrenders in 2025 compared with 2024, representing several hundred additional animals relinquished to the city facility. This rise aligns with national trends, where shelters across the country are also seeing post-pandemic upticks in surrenders as families struggle with similar challenges.

Shelter staff say the rise has strained their capacity to provide individualized care and timely medical services, and they are pressing owners to consider alternatives before surrendering pets. Common reasons for surrendering pets include housing problems, financial hardship, and feeling overwhelmed by the responsibilities of pet care.

“We’ve got an amazing team here who do their best to make sure that that process is not as scary as it could potentially be for the animal, but it is something that is a huge change for them,” said Aidan McMorrow, community engagement administrator at the Denver Animal Shelter. He emphasized that this emotional turmoil can be significant, especially for pets that have strong bonds with their families.

McMorrow attributed the increase primarily to owners feeling the financial burden of pet care — a point he reiterated in interviews with local outlets, including CBS News. He said that when intake rises, it reduces staff bandwidth for one-on-one attention and scheduling procedures such as spay and neuter surgeries. Many owners cite financial challenges as the main driver for relinquishment; resources such as the ASPCA and Best Friends Animal Society offer vital information on financial assistance for pet care.

“An increase in our population here is always going to have a somewhat negative effect on our ability to give individual animals more attention and to schedule these animals for spay and neuter surgeries,” McMorrow said. This decrease in individualized attention is concerning, especially given that shelter officials report a substantial increase in dog surrenders compared with pre-pandemic years.

Staff describe the shelter as not at maximum capacity overall but intermittently stretched thin during peaks of intake; that dynamic complicates efforts to deliver routine medical care and behavior support to newly surrendered animals. McMorrow urged owners to contact the shelter for help before making a relinquishment decision.

“If there is something that we can do to help you, maybe not make that decision about relinquishment, whether it’s help with vaccines, microchipping, spay and neuter, just getting some advice on behavior or another medical situation that you might be dealing with, we are here for everyone,” he said. He stressed the importance of reaching out for assistance before the situation escalates to surrendering a beloved pet.

The shelter also highlighted that many pets in the Denver area enjoy close bonds with their owners, noting that animals often snuggle up with people during the holiday season — a reminder, staff say, of the emotional stakes behind surrender decisions. McMorrow stressed that owners have options and resources to consider, encouraging them to explore local pet food banks and reduced-cost veterinary clinics as alternatives.

“We also want to make sure that folks in Denver know that they do have options,” McMorrow said. He cautioned against impulsive decisions, especially during the holidays, to gift pets without ensuring the recipient is prepared for the long-term commitment involved.

Beyond the local shelter, national organizations provide information on the costs of pet ownership; the ASPCA is listed by the shelter as a source of public information about those expenses. Additional background on common drivers of owner relinquishment can be found from groups such as Best Friends, which catalog financial assistance programs and community resources.

Shelter officials say they are communicating directly with the public about support options and encouraging people facing financial strain to seek help rather than immediately relinquish pets. McMorrow discouraged impulsive gift-giving that can leave recipients unprepared for pet guardianship.

“If somebody’s not prepared to have a pet, we would discourage them from making a decision where they’re getting it as a holiday gift,” he said. The shelter stresses the importance of planning and understanding the financial aspects of pet ownership to avoid future surrenders.

For now, Denver Animal Shelter is balancing intake pressures with efforts to maintain care standards and to make services available to owners in need. Staff members continue outreach to connect people with assistance and to manage the increased flow of animals into the facility.

Source

Original reporting: view the original article.