Updated October 15, 2026
Denver's city shelter expects to take in 11,224 animals in 2027, according to the Mayor's proposed budget. That's the highest figure in the budget book's five-year table, and about 14% more than in 2025. Meanwhile, City Council is asking for $500,000 to restore the city's full-time park rangers, the staff who patrol parks and trails. The budget isn't final yet. Council holds its required public hearing on Monday, Oct. 26, and must pass the budget by Nov. 9.
We read the Mayor's 2027 proposed budget book and the City Council's budget letter in the city's own records. Here's what's in them for dog owners, and how to weigh in.
The short version
- More animals are arriving. Intake at Denver Animal Protection, which runs the Denver Animal Shelter, was 9,859 in 2025. The city estimates 10,519 for 2026 and sets 11,224 as the 2027 objective. By our count of the city's published figures, that's about 14% more than in 2025.
- Fewer permanent staff than two years ago. The shelter division's permanent staffing went from 63.67 positions budgeted in 2025 to 58 in 2026. The 2027 proposal is 59.
- Shelter spending is roughly flat. General-fund spending is proposed at $7.41 million for 2027, up 1.17% from 2026's $7.33 million. One $200,000 line for veterinary services goes away.
- Park rangers: Council asked the Mayor to add $500,000 to "restore the City's full-time Park Ranger workforce," which would fund four positions and a citywide deployment plan.
- Dog parks: The capital plan sets aside $50,000 to "enhance, restore, and maintain citywide dog parks." The city counts 16 off-leash dog parks.
- Your say: Sign-up to speak or submit written testimony for the Oct. 26 hearing opens Oct. 22 at 5 p.m. and closes Oct. 26 at 3 p.m.
Why the shelter is so full
The budget book says Denver Animal Protection "has experienced a significant rise in animal intake since 2023, a trend expected to continue." Its yearly totals:
- 2023: 8,727
- 2024: 9,839
- 2025: 9,859
- 2026 (estimate): 10,519
- 2027 (objective): 11,224
The city's explanation is mostly about who else will take an animal. The book calls Denver "the metro area's only full-service, open-admission shelter." It says the shelter never turns animals away, runs 24/7 rescue through its Animal Protection Officers, charges no owner-surrender fees, and offers overnight drop-off kennels year-round. It lists several reasons more animals are arriving:
- housing instability,
- the rising cost of pet supplies and vet care,
- "policy changes at other area shelters that limit acceptance of strays or require fees and appointments for owner surrenders."
The strain shows at the front desk. The shelter's homepage currently warns visitors to "expect LONG WAIT TIMES FOR ALL SERVICES." It says staff may stop serving clients early if the day's queue is full.
What the 2027 budget does for the shelter
The proposal holds the shelter roughly steady, after a smaller 2026. General-fund spending for the division:
- 2025 (actual): $7,517,926
- 2026 (appropriated): $7,325,279
- 2027 (proposed): $7,411,234
Staffing followed a similar path. The citywide personnel table shows 63.67 permanent positions budgeted in 2025, 58 in 2026 and 59 proposed for 2027. So, by our count, 2027's permanent staff would be about 7% below 2025's, while intake is projected to be about 14% higher.
One caution about the numbers. The same table shows the division's total dropping from 60.73 in 2026 to 59 in 2027. That drop is an accounting change, not a cut, and permanent positions actually rise by one. Starting in 2027, the city stopped converting on-call hours into "FTE" counts. The book says this means "some apparent FTE reductions between 2026 and 2027 do not represent the elimination of positions, employees, or funding." Citywide, it says the 2027 general fund "does not reflect the elimination of any filled positions."
The specific 2027 changes the book lists for the shelter division are small:
- It adds one Environmental Public Health Technician II, moved over from Behavioral Health, where it was a Therapist Supervisor position.
- It removes $200,000 that had been moved over from Behavioral Health for veterinary services on a one-time basis.
- It cuts $42,200 from the on-call budget.
- In the division's special revenue funds, it adds back an Administrator I position that was held vacant in 2026 ($149,000).
The book also notes the division is "in the process of changing the division name to Denver Animal Shelter," to reflect that it's primarily a shelter, with animal protection under it. You may already see both names.
The park ranger request
Denver's park rangers "patrol parks to maximize public safety, protect park resources, and provide service to visitors," according to the budget book. For dog owners, that covers the parks and trails where Denver's leash rules apply.
In its Oct. 9 letter to Mayor Mike Johnston, City Council listed this under Denver Parks and Recreation:
"Restore full-time Park Ranger workforce ($500,000): Restore the City's full-time Park Ranger workforce to strengthen park stewardship, visitor support, public safety, and consistent coverage of Denver's urban parks and trails. The funding will support four FTE and a data-driven citywide deployment plan and attention to park needs."
The Mayor's proposal itself doesn't cut the ranger program's budget. Ranger Program general-fund spending was $4.30 million in 2025 and $4.08 million in 2026, and it's proposed at $4.18 million for 2027, up 2.31%. The proposal separately adds a Park Ranger Supervisor and a Park Ranger in the Denver Mountain Parks fund for the Mt. Blue Sky expansion, both through December 2028. The Council letter doesn't say how many full-time ranger positions were lost, so we can't tell you the size of the gap the $500,000 would close.
Off-leash dogs have come up at the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board this year. At its July 8 meeting, a Park Hill resident told the board she had been attacked by an off-leash dog at Park Hill Park and needed emergency medical care. According to the minutes, when she reported it she was directed to Park Rangers, "who said they are understaffed." At the same meeting, a Hilltop resident speaking for neighborhood groups asked for designated off-leash hours at Robinson Park Bowl on a pilot basis. These were public comments, not board actions.
Council's letter is a set of recommendations. The Mayor can take them into his final proposal on Oct. 19 or leave them out. After that, Council can formally amend the budget.
Dog parks: $50,000
The 2027 capital program includes a $50,000 line, "Park Amenities — Dog Parks," to "enhance, restore, and maintain citywide dog parks." The budget book describes the park system as including 16 off-leash dog parks. It doesn't name which parks the money would go to. Find them in our Denver dog parks directory.
What you can do
Weigh in on the budget. Key dates, from City Council's Oct. 9 announcement:
- Oct. 19: The Mayor submits his final proposed budget.
- Oct. 26: Required public hearing on the budget.
- Nov. 2: Last day for Council to propose and vote on formal amendments.
- Nov. 6, noon: The Mayor decides whether to accept or veto Council's amendments.
- Nov. 9: Council may override vetoes (nine votes needed) and must pass the final budget.
To speak or submit written testimony on Oct. 26:
- Use the form on Council's public hearings page. Sign-up opens Thursday, Oct. 22 at 5 p.m. and closes Oct. 26 at 3 p.m.
- You can speak in person, on Zoom or by phone. The city sends the location or Zoom link after you sign up.
- Each speaker gets three minutes, and you can't give unused time to someone else.
- Questions: call 3-1-1 (720-913-1311 from outside Denver).
You can also contact your own council member. If you have a ranger story, a dog-park maintenance issue or a shelter experience, that's useful testimony.
Help the shelter directly. Through Oct. 31, the Denver Animal Shelter is running an adoption special: 50% off adoption fees for dogs over one year old and over 40 lbs., and for cats over one year. Standard fees are $150 for adult dogs (1–5 years) and $100 for seniors (6+). Every dog and cat adoption includes spay/neuter, vaccinations, a microchip and a one-year pet license. The shelter also opens early on weekends, 9–11 a.m., for adoptions. With wait times running long, plan extra time. Meetings with animals stop at least an hour before closing.
If you're thinking about surrendering a pet because of cost or housing, the shelter's own surrender page is the place to start. More options are in our Denver-area shelters directory.
Nearby heads-up: Meyer Ranch Park closes Oct. 19
If your dog's weekend hike is up U.S. 285, note that Jefferson County Open Space is fully closing Meyer Ranch Park starting Oct. 19, through spring 2027, weather permitting. The closure covers the main trailhead parking lot (10490 S. Turkey Creek Road) and the neighborhood access points. Crews will thin about 185 acres of forest for ponderosa pine and aspen health and to reduce wildfire risk. The county lists Alderfer/Three Sisters, Beaver Ranch, Elk Meadow, Flying J Ranch, Pine Valley and Reynolds as nearby alternatives. On Jeffco Open Space land, dogs must be on a leash 10 feet or shorter.
We'll update this article after the Mayor's Oct. 19 final proposal and the Nov. 9 vote.
Sources
- City and County of Denver, Mayor's 2027 Proposed Budget (September 2026): FTE and on-call methodology (pp. 22, 31); personnel summary table (p. 65); Public Health and Environment expenditures (p. 92); Denver Animal Protection description, performance measures and budget changes (pp. 340, 342, 346, 348); Parks and Recreation description and ranger budget (pp. 470, 475, 478); capital program, dog parks (p. 602)
- Denver City Council, Recommendations to the 2027 Proposed Budget (letter to Mayor Johnston, Oct. 9, 2026)
- Denver City Council, Denver City Council Makes Budget Recommendations (Oct. 9, 2026), including budget calendar and hearing sign-up
- Denver City Council, Giving Testimony at a Public Hearing
- Denver Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, meeting minutes, July 8, 2026
- Denver Animal Shelter, homepage alerts and promotions · Adoption Process & Fees
- Jefferson County, Meyer Ranch Park closure notice · Meyer Ranch Park · Park regulations
