Denver Animal Protection Grant Helps Keep Pets In Homes

DENVER, CO — Many pets have ended up in Denver shelters during the pandemic as their owners face eviction or foreclosure, animal protection officials said.

Maddie's Fund, a national foundation that's dedicated to helping pets, has awarded Denver Animal Protection a $50,000 grant to help keep pets and their owners together, the agency announced Thursday.

The grant is funding a pilot program — Human Animal Support Services — that works to keep pets with their families, get lost pets home more quickly and assist pet owners who are struggling to meet their pets’ needs.

The grant will be used to microchip 500 cats at no cost to their owners, fund educational efforts to prevent lost pets or help them return home, and help Denver Animal Protection provide a foster safety-net program for residents who are facing eviction, the agency said.

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“Thanks to Maddie’s Fund, this grant will allow us to broaden the safety net for Denver residents and their pets," said Alice Nightengale, director of Denver Animal Protection.

"Keeping pets with their families is incredibly important to us and we are thankful for the opportunity to expand our efforts through the HASS pilot program."

If you or someone you know is experiencing temporary homelessness, you're asked to contact dap.safe@denvergov.org. More information on the Denver Animal Protection Displacement/Eviction Relief Program can be found here.

Other important links:
Preventing and finding lost pets
Free cat microchips