Heartwarming New Clinic Is Helping Homeless People Care for their Pets

An animal shelter in Denver has started a free pet vaccine clinic to help those experiencing homelessness take care of their animal companions.

Marissa Vasquez, the manager of community engagement for the Denver Animal Shelter (DAS), told Newsweek that the initiative was launched in collaboration with the Salvation Army following a meeting with local representatives.

Vasquez said the city has partnered with the Salvation Army to manage these new "transitional, non-congregate shelter sites," which are being opened in former hotels.

"These sites are unique in that they allow people to bring their pets, and the first site to open is called New Directions," she said.

The pop-up vaccine clinic, which was held on November 9, was set up once the residents were settled at the site. "There are currently about 30 pets at the shelter, and we were able to serve 27 of them," Vasquez said.

A spokesperson for the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment told Newsweek that DAS staffers vaccinated 22 dogs and five cats at the clinic.

"We will be back out at New Directions in about a month to offer needed booster shots. And we will continue to work with the Salvation Army to set up future vaccine clinics as they open more of these transitional shelters," Vasquez said.

About 51 out of 10,000 Denver residents experience homelessness on a given night, according to an April 2021 city government report. A 2020 survey conducted by the department found that 996 unsheltered people and 3,175 sheltered people experienced homelessness in Denver.

Each year, 6.3 million pets are surrendered to U.S. shelters, for an average of 17,260 a day, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

The number of dogs and cats taken in by pet shelters hit 46,807 during January 2023, an increase of 1,744 compared with January 2022, 24Petwatch's Shelter Watch Report found.

Many pets are surrendered due to "financial, behavioral or other unforeseen barriers," the ASPCA says.

About 920,000 surrendered animals are euthanized every year. Shelters are striving to minimize euthanasia rates by promoting adoption campaigns, spaying and neutering programs and behavior rehabilitation.

Vasquez said the latest pet vaccine clinic was conceived after she was introduced to a Salvation Army case manager during one of the weekly meetings held with city representatives "to meet the new Denver mayor's goal to address homelessness."

"Our team has been doing more of these community vaccine clinics around the city for all residents," Vasquez said. "The goal of our program is to protect the human-animal bond and to keep pets in their loving homes."

These clinics have been available with the help of the shelter's volunteer veterinarian, Susan Barden, and donated vaccines from Petco Love, a nonprofit.

Michelle Archuleta, one of the residents who moved to the newly opened transitional shelter, was able to have her four dogs vaccinated last week thanks to the clinic.

"I was pretty blessed about it because it's been a minute since I was able to get there," she told CBS Colorado. "I lost a lot of my family members," so her pets are "like my new family."

Archuleta added: "I'm trying to move forward and get them as service animals so I can get housing."

Vasquez said the shelter's ultimate aim is to allow the animals to stay with their owners and find permanent housing.

"It is important that they have all the documentation that landlords often require. So proof of rabies, proof of all vaccines, in addition to vaccines, sometimes spay-neuter is required," Vasquez told CBS.

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