Colorado Humane Society

Colorado Humane is the state's only open admission shelter where no clock is ticking. As an open-door shelter, no animal is turned away. With no clock ticking, CHS does not euthanize for money or space considerations. It is relatively easy to accomplish one of these goals, but to stand firm for both is a Herculean task. This is what sets us apart from every other organization in Colorado. If an animal needs a week, a month or more to get a home, it will get it. When you see hope in the eyes of an animal that has been at the shelter for months, how could you do less? If they haven't given up, how can we?

The Society is also what is called a "welfarest" organization. Simply put, we are in the business of saving animals one at a time. We actually lay hands on the animals we help. Our educational programs are pro-active and use positive messages to teach humane and responsible behavior. We do not become involved in protests or "activist" issues.

Our day-to-day activities center around the shelters at 2760 S. Platte River Drive in Englewood and 616 Abbott Lane in Colorado Springs. The society houses and cares for animals brought in by concerned citizens as well as by animal control officers from various municipal agencies. Owners of lost pets are united with their loved friends and new relationships begin as pets are adopted. On a typical morning, you may find a young couple adopting their first child, a tearful family, clutching a pile of hastily made posters, learning that their lost pet is safe and waiting in the next room, an elderly woman adopting a small dog that will happily listen to her stories all day long, and a tour of third graders from a local elementary school. It truly is that diverse and exciting here every day.

Beyond the traditional role of animal shelter provider, Colorado Humane has become a safe haven for strays picked up in much of the south metro area. We house by contract for Englewood, Littleton, and Arapahoe County. At the stroke of midnight on January 1, 2004, CHS took over Animal Control services for the city of Colorado Springs, making us both the largest and oldest provider of humane services in the state! Revenues from these contracts account for a significant portion of our operating budget. Before we took over these duties, being picked up stray was almost certainly a death sentence.

CHS also offers state of the art medical treatment for the animals in our care. The Colorado Humane clinic in Lakewood performs thousands of procedures each year, saving hundreds of lives and ensuring that every animal adopted from the shelter is spayed or neutered. A rotating staff of some of Colorados most talented veterinarians makes CHS the envy of organizations nationwide. We also operate as a non-qualifying, low cost clinic for the public.

It's easy to see the tremendous changes that have taken place along the Front Range in the last decade. With a million new Coloradoans, our job has not gotten any smaller. And because our job has gotten a lot bigger, it is time for our facilities to follow suit.

Note: PO Boxes will not show correctly on the map below.