Summary
Organization name
Teller County Regional Animal Shelter
other names
TCRAS
2000
Category
Animal-Related
Address
308 Weaverville RoadDivide, CO 80814
Teller County, CO, US
About
Custom Tab
"We are passionate about pets. They matter deeply to us, as a community. Protecting pets and their good health is vital to any healthy community.
The recent issues we've seen in the news do several things.
• the importance of spay and neuter programs.
• the importance of strong foster and adoption
Testimonials
Will, "What I get out of volunteering at TCRAS is a sense of joy and satisfaction working with and helping animals find homes. I also enjoy being around the staff and other volunteers and sharing their passion and kindness for the animals. It gives me an added sense of purpose."
Angela, "TCRAS is a respected and valued member of our community and it is a blessing to lend my support to its efforts while getting to know some fantastic people and animals."
Addison, "the environment is a positive place with an amazing staff and other volunteers."
Kevin, "Nothing more satisfying than volunteering at TCRAS and seeing how happy these dogs are when you can spend just a little time with them outside the kennel setting. It's a great feeling knowing you can make a difference spending some time volunteering."
Mission
At TCRAS, our mission is
"Fostering Hope and New Beginnings."
As a limited admission shelter, we give each companion pet that enters our doors the time, medical attention and training necessary to find a new leash on life. We do not euthanize for time or space and cared for 882 companion pets in 2020 with a save rate of 98.8% based on Asilomar data.
Background Statement
Prior to the late 1980's, there were few animal services available in this region. In 1988-89, the current TCRAS facility, was built by the local Homeowner's Association. Teller County managed it, a few generous citizens helped out by cleaning kennels and working to find homes for as many dogs as they could, but because there were no adoption capabilities at that time most of the dogs that entered were euthanized.
At the same time, the City of Woodland Park ran the "Hound Pound", a small area of dog-runs with one staff person who also served as the only Animal Control officer, and many of these dogs were also euthanized for lack of homes. This officer and a friend, using their own time and money, took on the task of taking dogs from the Hound Pound to a pet store in Colorado Springs and holding adoption fairs on the weekends, managing to adopt out more than 300 death-row dogs in three years.
Woodland Park was considering contracting with the County for animal control services, and the County was looking at the option of taking all animals to Colorado Springs to the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region (HSPPR). There were significant concerns about removing the animals to another city. There was also a growing sense that our community wanted to move towards taking over responsibility for their own shelter.
In 1999, more volunteers came forward with a plan to do just that and formed the Rescue Animal Force (RAF). Again, with mostly volunteers, they combined the animal care needs for both the City of Woodland Park and Teller County and began housing and finding homes for all the animals that came through the shelter doors. In the year 2000, the Teller County Regional Animal Shelter (TCRAS) was formed and continued under this leadership to the present day.
As the county has grown, so, too, has the number of animals landing at TCRAS. An expanded more efficient shelter has come to completion so that the homeless animals, and our citizens, can receive improved services as well as serve as an educational resource on companion animal care for the community.
Since 2008, 4,458 dogs and 2,034 cats were either returned to their original homes or placed in new ones through the efforts of TCRAS. Through these efforts the shelter has contributed greatly to reducing the pet overpopulation problem by spaying and neutering each animal before it is adopted.
Media gallery
Organization Data
Divide, CO 80814