DENVER (KDVR) — The Denver Animal Shelter is asking for the community’s help after it has seen a large spike in the number of dogs being surrendered this year.

According to data from the Denver Animal Shelter, from Jan. 1 of this year to April 23, the shelter has taken in 477 surrendered animals, which are mostly large dogs. This is compared to 348 animals surrendered over the same time period in 2022. That amounts to a 37% increase.

This is a concerning trend that has continued since 2022 when the Denver Animal Shelter saw a 51% increase in surrenders compared to before the pandemic in 2019.

Denver Animal Shelter said this spike is a cause for concern because the surge in pets could overwhelm the already limited capacity of shelters across the city.

How you can help

In order to address the crisis, the animal shelter is reducing adoption fees for dogs over 40 pounds by $20. This offer is for a limited time only, so you can head to the Denver Animal Shelter’s website to see which pups are available.

The team at the shelter will help you find the perfect pet for your family and lifestyle.

If it’s not the right time for you to become a pet owner, you can always become a foster parent. According to the shelter, becoming a foster parent helps them free up space in the shelter and give a pet a little break from the kennel life.

As a foster parent, you will keep the animal for a short period of time. For more information, you can visit the shelter’s website.

And finally, if you are unable to adopt or foster a pet, the shelter could always use donations to help care for the homeless animals.