Last year saw the most pets surrendered to Summit County animal shelters in more than a decade.

In 2023, the Summit County Animal Control and Shelter recorded 157 abandoned pets. The shelter’s data shows this is the highest number of surrenders the county has seen in a decade.

Animal control supervisor JJ McGill said this problem is not unique to Summit County. It is happening across Colorado, and shelters across the nation are reporting similar problems. 

McGill said 2020 was a “huge adoption year for shelters,” and many people adopted animals during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says more than 23 million American households adopted a pet at the time.

McGill said while people were adopting pets in droves during the pandemic, there were hardly any in-person resources available for new pet owners or opportunities to socialize pets. 

Now, McGill said the shelter is “getting a lot more behavioral-type surrenders,” especially when it comes to dogs.  

She said a lot of the behavioral issues stem from dogs not being properly socialized due to the pandemic lockdowns. 

“A lot of those animals that people adopted were more isolated. They weren’t taking them to dog parks,” McGill said. “Dog trainers weren’t hosting puppy classes or training classes. It was more one on one, if they had any at all.”

According to the American Humane Society, socializing new puppies starting at 3 weeks old is paramount to having a sociable, well-behaved dog. This window closes at 16 to 20 weeks, and socialization after that timeframe does not have nearly the same impact on a dog’s development. The society says dogs that miss out on socialization may never learn to be comfortable with unfamiliar things, which can lead to anxiety and aggression later on in life. 

The number of surrenders in 2022 registered as a close second for the shelter, with 140 owners giving up their pets. In 2021, the shelter saw 98 surrenders. 

The shelter generally keeps dogs for eight to nine days, she said, and sometimes the “tough ones” can stay in the shelter for months — sometimes even up to a year. 

Another shelter employee, Catherine Adair, said she has seen a decent amount of surrenders in Summit County that were due to housing-related issues. In addition to surrenders, the shelter also takes in a number of transfers, Adair said. The shelter accepts transfers as a way to support others in Colorado that have a hard time finding families that are willing to adopt.

“We definitely try to help other communities that don’t have as high of adoption rates,” Adair said. 

While the shelter saw a record number in surrender, it was a different story for adoptions. In 2023, the shelter had 492 adoptions, which is a drop from the past two years. The shelter had 521 adoptions in 2022 and 573 in 2021. 

In 2023, the shelter facilitated the adoption of 175 dogs, 46 puppies, 164 cats, 86 kittens, and 21 small mammals, such as guinea pigs. The shelter employees said they are not quite sure why there has been a dip in adoptions for 2023. 

McGill said the shelter is always accepting donations of money, time and goods.

“If you have animal stuff that you don’t need, or food, we donate excess food out to the public who might need it,” McGill said. 

She said that people stepping up and posting on social media promoting adoptable animals is also helpful.

“If more people can be aware of what’s available here, hopefully we can get animals in homes sooner,” McGill said.

Summit Daily News also posts a story online each Saturday listing the animals up for adoption at the center.

More information about adoptions and volunteer opportunities can be found at TinyURL.com/2vss5juj.