AURORA, Colo. - Inside the Aurora Animal Shelter, there's only enough space for about 150 pets.
"It's tough," said Dorothy Berry, the shelter's supervisor. "My take on it is, we need more space."
The shelter, which was built in the 1980s, has seen a steady increase in the number of intakes, as seen in the chart below. In 2020, the shelter took in 2,265 animals. Four years later, the shelter took in 3,417 animals in 2024.
Those numbers could likely be even higher if the shelter had more room to house animals.
The shelter is the only one in Aurora and serves much of Arapahoe County. Berry estimates they outgrew their space nearly 20 years ago, but have continued to make do.
Since the Aurora Animal Shelter frequently runs 90 to 95 percent full, staff often need to put a pause on any new intakes. They can send animals to neighboring shelters, but those facilities are often also struggling to maintain their capacity.
"We're on the verge of losing our PACFA status," said Aurora Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky of the shelter's standing with the Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act. "Basically, we're on an annual basis with them with the promise that we are going to build a new animal shelter. If we lose our PACFA status altogether, we have no animal shelter. We are completely shut down."
Jurinsky has been a vocal advocate for building a new shelter. The project is estimated to cost between $35 million and $50 million.
"We're still raising funds, but we have collectively put together enough to go out and get a bond for the rest," Jurinsky explained. "We hope to break ground in 2026."
An upcoming golf tournament on August 21 at Saddle Rock Golf Course aims to raise funds for the project.
The new facility would more than double the maximum number of animals the shelter can house, allow for more volunteers to come help, and likely expand pet vaccination services.
The design phase of the new shelter will begin in early 2026.
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