The Dumb Friends League has a history of service. For more than 100 years, we have sheltered and cared for lost, abandoned and abused pets. 

Thanks to wide community support, we offer programs that help both pets and people. 

We are proud to be the metro-Denver area’s local humane society. You are invited to visit our website and our two shelters to learn more about us.


Click here to make a secure online donation or you can print out a donation form and mail or fax it to us.

We are a humane society and the leading animal welfare organization in the Rocky Mountain Region. Click here to learn more.

Click here to learn why we are called the Dumb Friends League.

No. We are an open-admission shelter. We accept every homeless, lost and abused pet that is brought to us. Click here to learn more about our philosophy.

There is no predetermined length of time that animals can stay with us. We may shelter many animals for weeks — sometimes months if we are treating medical problems — while we try to find homes for them. Read more.

No. We never have and never will.

Click here for hours, locations and directions

We do not have a medical clinic that’s open to the public, however we do have mobile spay/neuter vehicles that offer subsidized surgeries, click here to learn more. Also, Harrison Memorial Animal Hospital located at 191 Yuma St., Denver, provides low-cost spay/neuter surgeries. To make an appointment, call (303) 722-5800

Yes you can. Click here for more information.

We're happy to help reunite you with your pet! Check out our Lost & Found Page to find out all you need to know.

Yes. Click here for information about bringing your pet to us. The Dumb Friends League accepts dogs, cats and other small pets for relinquishment on a walk-in basis.

Click here for adoption information including fees, locations and hours.

You can contact us at (303) 751-5772 and Home Again at 1-866-PET-ID24.

If there's a stray cat in your yard, you may rent a humane cat trap from us. Traps are available through our Lost & Found department at our Quebec Shelter and through our Buddy Center. There is a refundable $65 credit card deposit (Mastercard/Visa/Discover) required for each trap. The fee is $5 for the first three days, and $1 for each day after. Our staff will show you how to operate them. They will not harm the animal(s). Once you've trapped them, you may bring the cat(s) to us when you return the trap. We may be able to reunite the cat with its owner, or place it in our adoption program, depending on its age, temperament and health.

We will take your pet to a special room and perform without delay the most humane euthanasia.

You are welcome to bring in the body of a pet that has died at home.

Yes. We offer individual or group cremation services.

You may want to place your pet's ashes in our pet memorial garden.

You may at any time choose a particular space for your pets in the memorial garden.

Dumb Friends League volunteers help in many, many different ways. Some of our volunteers help us clean kennels and socialize our animals. This may include walking dogs or cuddling cats. Other volunteers help us serve adopters by answering phones and greeting shelter visitors. Volunteers also help us with administrative duties, including fundraising projects and public relations efforts. (Volunteers must be at least 16 years of age.)

Thank you for asking! Go to our volunteer page to find out all you need to know.

Yes. There are several ways we can help owners of dogs and cats with issues such as housetraining, scratching, excessive barking and other common dilemmas. Check out our Behavior information for ways we can help.

Yes. Our investigators, who are peace officers commissioned by the State Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Animal Protection, investigate reports of animal abuse or neglect, seven days a week, throughout eight counties (Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Elbert, Jefferson, and Weld). To reach our Investigations team, please call (303) 923-0022 or go to the Investigation's page to file a report.

Yes you can. We are happy to share our information with other nonprofit and animal welfare organizations. Please read our Terms of Use by clicking here. We ask that you contact us first before using any of our materials to inform of us of how the articles will be used and in what publication or on what web site. We also ask that a copy of any printed publication using our articles be mailed to us for our records.

Yes. Our Humane Educators provide free presentations throughout the metro area, free of charge. For more information, check out our Humane Education page. To schedule a program, call (720) 241-7132.