The Sanctuary
The number of dogs who need our help is growing.
The Pet Animal Care Facilities Act (PACFA) is a state licensing and inspection program that is dedicated to protecting the health and well-being of animals in facilities throughout Colorado. PACFA’s 2022 Annual Report noted that Colorado shelters and rescues took in 67,321 adult dogs and of those 4,595 were euthanized.
Denver Dumb Friends League, a full-service shelter with multiple locations through Colorado, stated in a March 2022 news report that “dog surrenders were up 15% from 2019, while stray dog intakes were up 41%”. In that particular month, staff reported accepting more than 1,000 dogs surrendered to their shelters with more than 100 dogs arriving in a single day.
Senior dogs are the most vulnerable.
The ASPCA reports that the adoption rate for senior dogs (defined as seven years or older) at these types of shelters is lower than that of all other ages combined. Their analysis of data from CARDS (Comprehensive Animal Risk Database System) found the senior dog adoption rate to be 25% compared to an adoption rate of 60% for younger dogs in the sample.
Moreover, the live release rate for senior dogs was 56.5% compared to a live release rate of 75.6% for younger dogs (ASPCA, 2015).
Shelters alone are not the answer.
Shelters exist to provide temporary placement for unwanted or homeless animals with the goal of adoption.
Traditional shelter settings are often unequipped to provide long term or specialized care for geriatric senior dogs. Meanwhile, the reluctance to adopt seniors, leads to overcrowding and slows the ability for a shelter to help more dogs in need of rescue. The longer these senior dogs remain unadopted in shelters, the longer they may go without advanced medical care, raising health risks and in some cases increasing the likelihood of euthanasia.
Additionally, if an organization does resort to euthanasia for dogs who have been deemed ineligible for adoption or have needs outside the capacity of the shelter, the difficult decision and act of euthanasia can be challenging on shelter staff morale leading to increased staff turnover in an industry already struggling with staffing shortages.
How PSDS meets the Need.
Pepper’s was especially built for and exists as a solution to ease the overcrowding of shelters, while providing a life-long home, proper medical treatment, and hospice care to geriatric and medically-compromised senior dogs who have been coded ineligible for adoption and who may otherwise be euthanized.
We are especially equipped with the necessary resources to provide high-risk senior dogs with proper care, love and the best life possible in their golden years. When our precious seniors finally come to the end of their journey, our team provides round-the-clock hospice care to ensure they are comfortable and surrounded by love until the moment they take their last breath.
By accepting “unwanted” senior dogs from a shelter, Pepper’s not only saves a senior dog from euthanasia but also creates space and redirects resources for more dogs in need. This enables a shelter to rescue and rehome multiple dogs in the time it would have taken to place just one senior dog.
Additionally, preventing the senior dog from being euthanized, boosts staff morale and reduces shelter staff turnover, ensuring a positive impact on shelter operations and the well-being of all animals.
Our Rescue Partners
Help Senior Dogs Thrive
There are so many ways you can help PSDS and the senior dogs in need across the country.