We adopted our cat, Skipper (previously Tomkins) here and the whole experience was great. We worked with two different employees who were both very friendly, knowledgeable, and patient. The cats are clearly being well taken care of by people who care. Our little guy had been there for a month (I'm not sure how, he's the sweetest, chillest cat) so they even gave us a discount on his adoption fee. I would definitely come here again, they have less turn over than foothills animal shelter because their location isn't as convenient in the Denver area, so it seems like they tend to have more cats to visit. read more

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Horrible. First, there's no direct line to the shelter. You have to go through the city's phone number and menu. Sometimes rude people on the phone if you try to call. Secondly, they won't let you in to look at lost dogs they've picked up. I've been helping a friend look for her lost dog while she's at work and can't leave. He's DEAF, which makes us even more desperate to find him. Ridiculous policies when people are desperate to find their lost pet. read more

"I attended the kitten adoption event at the Mission Viejo Library on 5/9/26, and it was a complete disaster. There was zero structure or order. Despite over 30 people showing up, the shelter only brought 4 kittens. When asked about the process, the LARGE female in the jean shorts was incredibly rude and dismissive, telling the crowd to just 'pick one.' This resulted in a dangerous free-for-all. People were grabbing at the kittens and arguing over who was first; we even witnessed her physically take an orange tabby kitten away from a little girl who had clearly secured it first, only to hand it to another family--an act that felt targeted and biased based on ethnicity. Most concerning was the total lack of protocol. No background checks were performed, and no carriers were provided or required for the kittens to go home safely. It was unprofessional, disorganized, and showed a complete lack of regard for both the families attending and the welfare of the animals. The city needs to investigate how this event was handled." read more

Had a terrible experience here the other day when I brought in a stray/lost cat that I found. Originally, I tried to take the cat to Humane Colorado, but they ended up not being able to take her (she had lightly bitten my wife, and HC didn't have space to quarantine her properly). They referred me to Aurora Animal Shelter. I was apprehensive, as I've heard some bad experiences from other people, but I didn't have another choice at this point. Upon walking in, none of the staff at the front desk were welcoming or friendly--no one smiled and everyone spoke coldly and flatly. As soon as I completed the intake paperwork, 2 of those staff came around and grabbed the cat's carrier. I attempted to say goodbye to the kitty, but the staff walked off with her as I was talking to her and trying to pet her through the carrier door. I had just spent 2 days caring for and getting to know this cat, and having her ripped away without getting to say goodbye was very painful for me. The staff returned a few minutes later with the empty carrier. I mentioned to them that the cat had bit my wife the other day. A staff member told me she would be quarantined for 5 days (from what my wife's doctor and Humane Colorado said, it's supposed to be 10 days). They asked for a photo of the bite to see if it qualified under their definition of "broken skin," so I had my wife send me a picture of it. The main staff member that I'd been talking to walked off to ask their supervisor about getting a report of the bite incident. I stood at the front desk with the photo, waiting for her; the other front desk staff ignored me entirely. She finally came back and said I needed to write down my wife's info so that an officer could reach out to her and get a report of the incident. My wife had already filed a report when she went to the doctor, but I did as they asked. The staff person then took my intake form, handed it to one of the other front desk staff, and said "here's this, if you want to start thinking about entering it in." She then walked away and went back towards the supervisor's office. I asked her, "Am I done?" She turned around and told me yes, we were done. I left, went to my car, and cried. I know that this facility is old and often at capacity. I'm sure staff are overworked and tired. I wouldn't be surprised if they were seriously understaffed, too. I make these guesses based on loved ones' experiences working for the City of Aurora and my own experience working in animal care. I truly empathize with animal welfare workers. But the cat I brought and myself were made to feel like an afterthought or annoyance. It did not feel like we mattered to any of these people. I did not feel good leaving that sweet kitty there, and I still don't. If we weren't made to feel like we mattered during the intake process, why would I think she'd be treated as such afterwards? I'm very happy for all the people who've had great experiences with this shelter, truly. But I will not be returning. read more

The concept is stupid. They only let you see one dog at a time that you might be interested. It's like ordering a dog off the menu to see and doesn't give a chance to all the other dogs, as well as seeing if there is an organic connection between you and the dog as you walk by. read more

Turned in a friendly stray. Noticed after a week his lost and found page was gone, but he hadn't been put up for adoption. Called and found out after just three days they had dumped him back on the street. Didn't even bother to contact me to pick him back up. He went from confident and friendly to fearful and timid. I don't know what they did to him (besides butcher his ear), but it is clear they do not know how to handle cats. After reading other reviews I guess I'm grateful they didn't euthanize him. I thought this was a no-kill shelter else I never would have sent him there. read more

I'm biased because I walk dogs there, but am constantly amazed at the caring people who work here, and the *incredible* dogs here -- definitely not what I thought of as "strays." The dogs are all well groomed and ready to go to a loving home. read more

I'm not sure what caused the sudden rash of recent negative reviews, but I'm pretty certain they are not valid. For example, this, or ANY shelter/rescue WILL NEVER just put a dog back out on the street. And, they're not racist, for heavens sake. They work very hard to ensure the animals are well taken care of and that the people who walk through their doors are treated with kindness and compassion. I've adopted from this organization, donated to them, and have also utilized their services when I found a lost cat that was fortunately microchipped, with up to date information and also with the option set as yes so that I as the finder could call the owner. Those of you who are spending/wasting your time beating up on an organization that is so needed, even more so these days, Just. Stop. For those of you who want to experience adoption and have the means to care for an animal for its lifetime, please do a little research so you understand the breed you're looking at and consider this shelter. You'll be saving two lives, the one you take home, and the one they'll now have the space for. read more

After countless hours of trying to find my sweet sweetie I get a call from animal control informing us they found our baby but she was deceased she said she is dropping off our sweety to Aurora animal shelter & they were closed today, we informed the officer we will be there when they open to say our goodbyes to our sweety of 20 years and pay for her cremation. We come in today & they tell us sorry she was cremated with the other dogs their staff didn't follow protocol after we told the officer we would be there first thing in the morning & she said the shelter will hold her for 5 days but they cremated her that same day how can they be so heartless knowing that there are folks like us that loved our fur babies like family all they said was sorry & they will refund my cremation fee read more

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I had the pleasure over 20 years ago to patron this shelter. It was state of the art. Clean and beautiful! Well ran and orderly! I even helped out. When I brought my son in for a possible adoption, we were told that you could only see three, one at a time. I asked why we couldn't look at all possible adoptions so that we could make a forever home for a well deserved dog. She said it puts too much stress on them. I disagree the fact that they are in a cage is what stresses them out. The mere filth in the front made me realise that they don't want you to see what they are hiding! I feel horrible about these poor animals! The young women seem to act like she knew more about animals than all. Truthfully this was horrifying! Please investigate this establishment! read more

I'm so happy with my dog adoption at Aurora animal shelter, I literally adopted my best friend!!! I had an amazing experience here, got helped immediately when it was my turn, and found the love of my life, was the best experience and the best decision of my life, he's such a good boy and loves his life in his forever home! Because of you amazing people, I found my purpose and "Barktwain" aka Bruno now, can and will have an amazing life and be happy! Thank you so much Aurora Animal Shelter ! read more

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DO NOT ADOPT FROM HERE!!!! These poor animals! My fiancé and I adopted a kitten from them a couple weeks ago. She had a weird sniffle. We asked about it and the lady told us it was just a cold and it'll pass. AFTER we signed the paperwork for her and they ran our credit card, a second worker comes in and says "Oh I should probably tell you about her nose. We think she has a blockage that will need to be removed". They waited until we payed and signed for her to tell us. It's not even on her paperwork from her vet visit the week before we adopted her. Fast forward to her first vet visit with us. Our vet tells us not only should they have told us ahead of time but they should have taken care of it when they realized it because it's a surgical procedure. We're talking like $5000. We confronted them very kindly and the supervisor, Carol, was very disrespectful to us. In person she told my fiancé that they would help us figure out the problem. The next day they called us and said they changed their minds and would not be helping us and after he tried to talk to her about it she hung up on us. Please if you have ANY poor experiences here contact me via facebook messenger because we will not just let this be!!!!!!! read more

This happened a lil over a month ago I paid for a service of having my dog out down it included with ashes and a paw print. When I went back to pick up my dog again they had given the ashes to someone else is what they said at first and where going to "look into it" they gave no apologies or any information on what was going to be the next step. A week later they called and said that they lost the ashes and my dog was burned with other dogs even though we paid for just my dog ashes. They never gave me the paw print and only gave us a refund. I am disgusted and disappointed in how that could have happened I would never recommend this place. I don't even think their services do what they are describing. read more

I recently moved to Aurora and decided I should start following their laws (much easier that way). In Aurora, you are supposed to license your pets. I was having difficulties with the online option, so I called to find out where to go. The administrative offices for licensing are at the animal shelter. And, it turns out this building is way up on 32nd, off of Chambers. I made the longish drive and found the place with little difficulty. The waiting room looked like a smaller version of a DMV. Upon entering, a large, ginger cat gave me a greeting, and insisted he be petted, so I obliged. He was very pushy and vocal, in an enjoyable cat fashion. I had brought the vaccination records and rabies tags with me, but it turned out I needed a copy of the rabies certificate from the veterinarian. To me, this was the "make or break" moment of this transaction. Some places might have told me, "too bad", and told me to come back when I had the right paperwork. That did not happen here. Georgina, the extremely helpful, friendly, and charming lady working here provided me with excellent customer service. She called my vet, had them fax her the paperwork, and took care of everything for me. She did all this while also answering questions from people who were in to adopt or retrieve pets. What could have been an annoying trip to a government agency was instead a nice conversation with polite and funny people. read more

I adopted an eight-year-old dachshund mix from the Aurora shelter and he's the best dog I've ever had the staff was fabulous and the dog is even better. Thank you Aurora shelter and all your employees read more

Adopted a dog 5 days ago. Took her for her first vet appointment today and she has multiple birth defects. Things that affect her breathing and her ability to walk. Both things were questioned during the meet and greet and I was told she was just overweight. So now we have a dog that will never walk right or breath properly. Would have been good to know as we have a split level home and a dog who can't walk right shouldn't have to use that many stairs. She was also labeled as toy poodle when she is very clearly a purebred bichon. Who is checking these animals out? Who is doing a medical exam? read more

Adopting a pet in need is truly a great experience. Aurora animal shelter is very busy so I think the afternoons are better!

They've got to get Scott out of there if they want people to volunteer and adopt!!!! Yes, she is rude and has NO people/customer service skills!!! I volunteered as a foster parent & when I walked in to return the puppies, she is the one who 'barked & snapped' at me!!! She rudely told me to take a seat in the far back & yelled when someone wanted to see the puppies!!! RUDE! RUDE! RUDE! Too many 'negative' vibes for me to volunteer there until the city gets RID of her!!!!!!!!!!! read more

I'm very please with this place. Some guys found a cat at my place of work. He was very sweet and fat and we wanted to make sure he was in good hands after he left there. I called this shelter and they dispatched a nice gentleman to come pick him up. The next day we checked their website and there he was! Under the Lost & Found. It brought peace of mind knowing they're trying to get him home or adopt him out and wasn't just going to put him down. Thanks to places like this- it gives animals another chance they deserve! read more

I love it it was clean n there nice to the animals, the ppl are really nice too.. and the price was realy good..I just had to wait 4 days to get my dog, but the wait was well worth it. I love my new best friend n he sure does love me too read more

Aurora Animal Shelter - The doggys just wait to be taken home (= - Animal Shelters Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

My sister's pets were recently taken to the Aurora Animal Shelter during a medical crisis. When I picked up her "babies," the care and compassion they extended to me was exceptional. My sister has an anxiety laden dog which proved difficult to transport. To make matters worse; I'm not dog savvy. Numerous employees took time out of their busy day to help me. My appreciation is immeasurable. read more

Rascal came to his forever family today. At 8 years young, this guy has a lot of livin and lovin to do and we are so very happy! The adoption specialists were great to work with today. Thank you all read more

Want to give a shout out to Barbara Jones. She was very helpful when I was renewing my pets license. She has incredible patience and very professional read more

Please let Capone stay with his family. I understand he escaped and you have him, but why destroy him? He is clearly domesticated. I think worrying about adopting out your other dogs is more important. I think DNA tests cost money last I heard, put it to better use. ........................................................................................................................................ read more

This animal shelter is amazing and the staff are so kind and helpful. I have adopted three rescues from the shelter and each time it's been a great experience. They treat the homeless animals with respect and enthusiasm. I try to make donations to this facility at least twice a year for the awesome services they provide to animals that otherwise would be in abusive, or dangerous homeless situations. Thank you for all of your hard work in keeping our animals happy, healthy, and in a safe environment as they transition to new homes. read more

Very rude they took my dog out of trailer not even hot out cut my lock messed door up and i went to get him out and sign says open at 9 Made me wait till 10 she said. I just want my buddy back was broke down at walmart parking lot had to ride bike 10 miles to get part figured dog would be better sleepin instead of runnin 10 miles and there sopposed to care for animals I don't think so they're just there for a pay check and my dog ended up with kennel cough they charged me $54 for one night in dog jail wow!! that's crazy but at least i have my buddy back read more

What a nice place. It's clean and the staff was very personable and professional. It was busy but no one was in a bad mood. I adopted my Lucky dog and it was a great experience. Shout out to Kari! read more

They do not care about the animals well being at this shelter! I'm absolutely appalled by the service I received from carol the supervisor. My dog was stolen during transport between South Carolina and California and was dropped of at the shelter in Colorado because the transporters abandoned my dog. This was a very traumatizing situation for me and I had to scramble to find a way to get Keani my puppy home. Carol tried to put my dog up for adoption because I wasn't able to pick him up fast enough!! I sent her emails of my dog proving he was mine I talked to multiple employees that never said anything about putting him up for adoption, I also was willing to pay all shelter fees for them to take care of him. They did not care they said they would put him up for adoption on July 1st (giving me one day to get from California to colorado) or we would have to come adopt him from the shelter. This forced me to find a foster home for my dog in Colorado until I can get him home, however when picking kenai up we discovered he had kennel cough, he was dehydrated, lost weight and was disgustingly dirty. So I called them to see if they knew how he got it and they where not concerned and told me they do nothing for the animals not even bathe them, just give them there minimal amounts of food and water. My poor dog was scared for his life being lost from him mom and them these horrible people got him sick and neglected him. Carol is a nightmare and has no compassion for dogs all she was worried about was getting some sort of money for my dog. I'm absolutely disgusted by this shelter. read more

If I could give this place a 0 I would. Lol smh terrible . If you ever find a dog & think about bringing it here, don't . They really don't care about helping animals . I found a puppy on my way to work and went out of my way to find the closest shelter so it can get taken care of. Well this shelter was the closest, once I got there I missed it by 5 min when they "closed" I was knocking on the door hoping someone would answer & I see them looking at me and telling me they won't let me in. I'm holding this tiny puppy in my hands and showing them & they wanna tell me that's not their problem & to go somewhere else. What?? So your telling me if I was going to leave this puppy outside your door your not gonna bring him inside ? How terrible is that. Thumbs down to yal. read more

This shelter is actually really nice! It's a little hard to find (in between all the warehouses), but I think it's worth a visit if you're looking for an adoptable dog. read more

I adopted my dog at the Aurora Animal Shelter. The people there were great, and the adoption fees were very reasonable when compared to the Dumb Friends League. They provide a great service to the community, and the people that work there are a credit to Aurora. read more

My experience at the Aurora Animal Shelter was dreadful. I went in three time to see the same dog for a week. After the third visit, I decided to put a hold on the dog. I sat in the back room with this friendly dog, played with her, took her toy, and tested how well she listen. She seemed like a perfect fit; therefore, I decided to put a hold on the dog. Long story short. All the dogs got kennel cough. This latest for 3.5 weeks. I called every week to check on the dog and even asked if I could take the dog to a vent, so she wouldnt have to stay in the small cage all day. They said, no you cannot take the dog because we need to contain the outbreak of Kennel cough. On the Aurora animal shelter website today, the Kennel cough outbreak was predicted to be over, so I called the animal shelter to check on the dog I put a hold on. The rep said they tried to call me three times, but had the wrong number. When you put a dog on hold they give you a piece of paper with the hold charge, your contact number, and some other information on the paper. My number is correct on that piece of paper, so I do not know why they decided to kill this dog. Even with the short time I spent with this dog, I felt a connection for her. I honestly called weekly during kennel cough to check up on this lovely puppy(I have phone records to prove it). The reason they told me they put her down was one they could not get in contact with me(BS), two the evaluation said she jumped too much(wtf), and three dog aggressive(I sat with this dog for a long time not true). The supervisor said the phone rep was suppose to put in the notes that I called in, but the phone rep never did. This shelter is a kill shelter. Please do not donate money or offer support to such a poorly ran shelter!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have no idea why they killed such a friendly 11month old puppy that i said with for 30minutes on two visits!! I called every week during the Kennel outbreak yet they have no record of it; however, my phone does!!!! Puppy killing organization! read more

We have lived in Aurora for 40 years, and have had good experiences with the animal control people. In fact, when we found a lamb, the animal control people found a home for it where it would not become food. (It was a very sweet creature!) I have had help when a dog seemed to be abused, and have been grateful for the website when we lost a cat. All of our pets are rescues, and although not from Aurora, we are very grateful for the work they do. read more

We adopted 2 dogs this week from the Aurora Animal Shelter and they are wonderful, we are so happy. We got a 10 year old Australian Cattle dog and and 1-1/2 year old Spaniel. The people at the shelter couldn't have been friendlier or more helpful. They helped make sure we were all a good fit, including our other dog. The dogs came to us chipped, vaccinated and in good health. The price was very affordable, especially since my husband is a senior and they have a half price adoption for seniors! We had previously looked at a rescue site (Lola's) that was 4 times the price and every person we spoke to was rude and condesending, as if we weren't good enough to have one of their dogs. The Aurora Animal Shelter does a great job and I would encourage anyone to go there when looking for a forever pet. read more

I adopted a dog 1 week ago from this shelter. Her name is Nelly and she is a 2 year old lab mix. I had gone in twice tobsee this dog because i wanted to make sure it was the right fit for me and my roommate. My first time going in i was greeted by a sweet younger blond girl who i could tell had a passion for finding dogs the perfect home. She informed me carefully of what they knew about Nelly without trying to steer me away from her. She was very kind and caring the perfect person to work in an animal shelter. The second time i came in i brought my partially disabled roommate to make sure him and Nelly would be good together. I was rudely and shortly greeted by a women named laurie. She was very rude and short the whole time. She did not want us playing with Nelly and every word that came out of her mouth was something negative about Nelly. She told me she was vicious with other dogs and would turn on her owner as well. Ahe told me she would jump fences and that she had way to much energy for an apartment. She would puke in cars. She was not allowed at dog parks she grew up on a reservation would need a lot of work to be a good dog. She was short with me and my roommate and just plain rude. Even to the point where she told me nelly would not be a good fit. She didnt let us play with the dog at all she stood with her on the leash the whole time saying negative things. She then left us outside to talk it over. I havs fostered many dofs through the years and could tell nelly would be great. When he and i walked back in she flat out told us "listen guys we need to talk about this cause youre not gonna get her she would not be a good fit for you." I could not believe what i was just told to which i was more set on making sure i would be able to give her a home. Since i have brought nelly home she is quiet and playful. She is inquisitive about everything and wants to learn new things. She is not vicious with other dogs just playful. She does not puke in my car or anyone elses. She is a perfect dog and has even calmed down now that she is not locked in a cage all day long. I am utterly beside myself that i was treated so poorly at this shelter and that i was told i would not get a dog. This was my experience with this shelter and it is the worst experience i have ever had. read more

I really liked this shelter, it was clean and the staff was very helpful to me and my daughters. There weren't too many dogs because there was a kennel cough outbreak so ddfl took in their uneffected dogs and I thought that was great so they could contain the infected and not let it spread. They have a special right now for the holidays, cats 6 months and older are only $10 (there's a special on dogs too but I can't remember because I wanted a cat), plus they give you a voucher for a free vet visit, a small bag of food, and of course all the animals are fixed, dewormed, and vaccinated. read more

Walked in, no one even smile. Grumpy faces all around. Everyone I encountered was rude and unhelpful. Lots of rude people here! I feel sorry for each animal that is at this place. How unfortunate to be a homeless animal and be stuck here with these rude unhappy people. Sorry your job sucks. Smile, it helps. read more

I've had nothing but good luck with AAS through school events, spay/neuter clinics, and those times staff allow for outside agencies to utilize their facilities with organizations that assist under serviced populations in our community. Always professional and polite, staff here does the best they can with limited resources and some ingenuity w/pet adoption events to get surrendered pets adopted and people's pets their necessary shots and routine medical assistance. read more

I was treated poorly on the day of my visit. When I arrived upon the counter, I was not greeted. There was no receptionist and I had to wait around 15 minutes for someone to finally acknowledge my existance. This wasn't the annoying part. I was rudely stopped by one of the employees who told me I was not allowed in a certain area (now normally I would agree, but I had asked another employee if I could just check out the other animals and she let me check them out). Instead of simply asking me to leave, she confronted me in an abrasive manner. I then told her that I was not looking to buy (as they were marked "not for sale") and just wanted to see what kind of breeds were held there for future reference (not to mention that there were only like 5 dogs available for purchase at the time). She then escorted me out but kept speaking under her breath. She did not believe that someone else allowed me to see the other dogs. So I was a little offended when she called me a liar. Now normally I do not care but in this instance it was just disrespectful. To put it simply, she was behaving like a bitch. I do not support the shops at the malls and thought it would be better to adopt an animal that needs help and has been abandoned but if this is the process that one must endure to adopt an animal in need, then I apologize but I refuse to be treated in such a manner. Good luck with your bullshit. read more

Adopted a dog during a time period (July) when the dogs were to be priced $50 for dogs 5 months or older. We found a dog that was marked as "6" months old. On the day I came to get the dog I had the unfortunate experience of dealing with a young woman named Zoie (I think that's her name, brown hair, probably in her 30's) that changed the dogs age from what was on its data card, 6 months, to "2 months", and then she charged me $162 instead of the $50. I was shafted because she seemingly became upset when I told another patron that approx 6 million dogs and cats are put to sleep each year. This Zoie person said, "No! That is not true, maybe a couple hundred-thousand, but certainly not millions". HUH?! WHAT?! She works at a shelter and she's unaware that in municipal shelters ALONE nearly 3 MILLION animals are killed annually?! Anyway, Zoie had some form of superiority complex, was rude, charged me more, and turned the entire experience into something that resembled visiting the dentist! I agree 110% with the poster "Shabana W", whose comment stated, essentially, rudeness from start to finish! I say, no smiles, no greeting, no good bye, no thank you, NOTHING! What a shame! As for Zoie, she needs to be fired, or at the very least demoted and retrained. If she's in management, it's easy to see why no one is smiling or happy while on the the job! The animals there deserve better representation!!!! read more