Adoption Process
- Required Documents: Drivers License or Photo ID with your current address. If your address is not current, please provide paperwork with proof of current address. Must be at least 18 years old to complete adoption process.
- Payment Options: Cash, Visa, Discover, Mastercard, or check.
- Visitation: In effort to encourage successful matches and support ease of acclimation, we require every adopter to meet with an adoption counselor for a foundational conversation. During this foundational conversation it may be determined to have additional household members and/or owned dogs be required to visit as well.
- Spay and Neuter Information: Pets that are already spay/ neutered can be taken home at the time of adoption. Pets that have not been spayed/ neutered prior to adoption will remain at the shelter and be scheduled for the next available appointment. You will then receive the date and time of pick up for your newly adopted pet.
(If your pet is unable to be altered, a $50 refundable deposit is required in order to take the animal home.)
All dog and cat adoptions come with spay/neuter, vaccinations, microchip and a one-year pet license.
|
Type
|
Fee
|
Puppies
(2 mos – 1 yr) |
$170 |
Adult Dogs
(1 – 5 yrs) |
$150 |
Senior Dogs
(6+ yrs) |
$100 |
Kittens
(2 mos – 5 mos) |
$110 |
Adult Cats
(6 mos – 6 yrs) |
$95 |
Senior Cats
(6+ yrs) |
$65 |
| Small Animals |
$15 |
| Livestock |
$50 |
*Senior Discount (65 and over) — 50% off pet adoptions
*Current Military and Veterans Discount — 50% off a one-time adoption fee
Our goal is to work with you to find the right pet for your family and lifestyle. If within 90 days of adoption your new pet is not the right fit, an adoption counselor will work with you to find a better match for your family.
The Hold Program helps customers reserve an animal — prior to it becoming available for adoption — by making a non-refundable donation. Please visit us at 1241 West Bayaud Ave, Denver 80223 during business hours to place a Hold.
- Visit our Lost Pets page to view animals available for holds.
- Only two holds are allowed per animal:
- 1st Hold – $20
- 2nd Hold – $15
- An individual cannot put both the first and second hold on the same animal.
- The non-refundable donation does not count toward the cost of adoption.
- A hold donation does not guarantee adoption. All animals are evaluated to assess their health and behavior before being eligible for adoption. Once the animal passes the assessments, the individual with the hold will receive an email and text alert that the animal is available for adoption. The individual with the hold will only be guaranteed their hold for the day the animal was made available. Adoption visits must be completed one hour prior to closing.
- Some animals will display as “not available for hold” for various reasons such as claimed ownership or medical and/or behavioral concerns. Please respect staff time and do not request holds on these animals.
DAS adoptions include spay/neuter, vaccinations and one-year pet license. All animals currently available for adoption can be viewed here.
Our dog visitation process has changed! We are working to create a calmer space for the pups in our care. To alleviate some of their stress and reduce arousal levels, we are limiting the number of people who walk through our dog adoption kennels.
Before visiting DAS, check out our adoptable dogs. Once you’ve identified one or two dogs you’d like to meet, head to DAS and our team will bring the pup to meet you in a visiting room where you can get to know one another.
Thank you for understanding as we provide a calm and safe environment for Denver’s homeless pets.
DAS continues to be the community’s full-service, open-admission animal shelter, accepting all animals that come through its doors. Hours of operation stay the same:
Monday – Friday 11:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Night drop kennels are available if a lost pet is found while the shelter is closed.
The Denver Animal Shelter adheres to a Fear Free philosophy. Fear Free was founded in 2016 with the mission to prevent and alleviate fear, anxiety, and stress in pets by inspiring and educating the people who care for them.
Admission to an animal shelter can be stressful for animals. They commonly experience feelings of fear, anxiety, and frustration because of entering and being confined in such an unfamiliar environment. When animals are overwhelmed by visual and sound stimuli in a shelter, we can help by blocking and limiting distractions, such as foot traffic. Our cat kennels provide a privacy area where they can go and not been seen if they are stressed out, but our dog and small mammal kennels do not.
Our goal is to provide the most calm and safe environment as possible. This includes minimizing potentially stressful sights, sounds, and smells by closing doors, limiting foot traffic, speaking softly in calming tones, playing calming music at a low volume, and cleaning well between animals.