Foothills Animal Shelter, Golden

It’s hard to make room for more than 9,000 wagging tails, 18,000 wandering eyes, and 36,000 batting paws, but Foothills Animal Shelter always finds a way. Due to its open-admissions policy—which means that no animal is turned away—the Shelter welcomes roughly 9,200 homeless animals per year, treating them to housing and the attention of its professionals and volunteers. Once inside, the animals are given sanctuary, medical care, vaccines, and the chance to steal the hearts of potential adopters with their puppy-dog eyes.

But the caretakers at Foothills Animal Shelter don’t just wait for needy pets to find them. They also perform such preventive measures as spay and neuter surgeries, licensing, and vaccinations in order to ensure that pets with homes remain healthy and out of harm’s way. This motive also drives the Shelter’s microchip services, which provide permanent identification for pets. Shelters, animal control services, or veterinarians can scan lost pets for a microchip to help reconnect them with their owners.