The Riverdale Animal Shelter can breathe a sigh of relief this holiday season after the kind of year it had.
The facility celebrated its fifth anniversary in October. The staff was recognized by the Adams County Board of Commissioners as the Team of the Season for Summer 2025. Meanwhile, its animal care manager, Taniesha Bracken, was named the Unsung Hero and Overall Adams County Employee of the Season for Summer 2025.
Those accolades came after Adams County saw a disturbing string of animal hoarding cases at various residences that left the animal shelter overwhelmed.
It left Riverdale Animal Shelter community engagement manager Tabatha Gormley wondering, “What’s going on in Adams County?”
“Helping with these types of cases and housing pets that are in this kind of emergency situation, because of a court case or partnership with law enforcement, is definitely a common thing that shelters do,” Gormley said. “But to see seven in a row since mid-summer? Even the rest of our community and shelter partners are just like, ‘Wow.’”
The animal shelter, which houses 350-400 animals, takes in an average of more than 8,000 animals annually. Numbers for 2025 haven’t been released, but Gormley expects that total to be near 9,000.
Seizures ranged from 35 to 117 animals
Summer is usually a busy time for intake and rescues for the Riverdale Animal Shelter. Gormley said a common reason for animal surrenders is financial-related. That includes moving or being unable to afford pet deposits. A lot of the animals are also brought to the shelter as strays.
But staff say this year was exceptionally tough.
The Northglenn Police Department removed 117 animals from a Wyco Park home in July. Law enforcement arrived at the residence to find animals in deplorable and unsanitary conditions. The living room was filled with destroyed couches and open cages. A dog and a cat were found deceased. The 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office charged Patti Joslin, 69, and Dakotah Joslin, 32, with 109 counts of animal cruelty.
The animal shelter received 101 animals from Thornton and Commerce City during August. The Thornton Police Department’s Animal Control removed 66 cats from an apartment near Hunters Glen Lake on Aug. 20. One kitten was found dead.
On Aug. 27, authorities responded to a report of animal cruelty at a Commerce City home after receiving a tip about an unlicensed veterinary procedure performed on a dog. The dog eventually passed away. Officers arrived on scene to find 35 animals and three children living in grotesque conditions. One deceased dog was found in a trash can outside of the home. Demetrio Urbina, 38, and Arceli Urbina, 32, were charged with felony animal cruelty, child abuse, practicing a profession without a license, and operating a pet facility without a license.
The massive rescues didn’t ease up the following month. Sixty cats were seized from a Federal Heights home. Another 101 animals were rescued from a rural home near Brighton on Sept. 24.
On Oct. 15, Adams County Sheriff deputies removed 33 dogs from a Strasburg residence that was filled with feces. Several dogs that were confined in kennels had no access to water. The homeowners, Robert Attleson and Melissa Mengel, were issued misdemeanor summons.
Gormley said the staff had to get creative when dealing with the overflow of animals.
“We definitely had a couple cases where we were here after hours just getting animals in and assessing them, and documenting, and there's a lot involved,” Gormley said. “Just grateful that we have a team that's willing to go above and beyond and just do whatever's needed in that moment.”
Animal hoarding isn’t just an issue in Colorado. According to Shelter Animal Count, about 250,000 animals annually are found to be victims of animal hoarding in the United States, with most living in unsanitary conditions. Roughly 85 percent of people arrested for animal abuse or cruelty have had multiple past arrests, with 70 percent having prior felonies.
Bobbi Priestly, Director of Animal Protection for Humane Colorado, said animal hoarding has been linked to mental health and a slow economy, particularly in rural areas.
“More people struggle to afford food and veterinary care for their animals, and especially in rural communities. They just don't have the resources to address these issues,” Priestly said. “Also in rural Colorado, we don't have enough mental health resources, which is a lot of the root causes of these cases.”
Colorado is ranked in the top five states for best animal protection laws. That’s according to the Animal Legal Defense Fund. But Priestly said some state laws and regulations aren’t as effective as intended. That’s why community reporting and public awareness are critical.
“That's why it's critical that we continue to refine our statutes and strengthen enforcement and judicial processes,” Priestly said. “When agencies like the ones that dealt with Riverdale are together and fully leverage our systems, we can better ensure animal welfare is consistently protected and prioritized. That's really what needs to happen, and we also need to work together as communities as well.”
Moving forward
Riverdale Animal Shelter was able to find homes for some of the animals from the rescue over the summer. The staff partnered with other shelters and rescues that had the capacity to take on more animals, while others remain due to ongoing investigations.
But the shelter still has 500 animals, including those in foster care, heading into the holidays. Gormley cited a recent national trend of surrenders. She said the community has helped in supporting the shelter, especially after the year they experienced.
“We're definitely feeling a little bit more of that breathing room and still getting a lot of support from different organizations,” Gormley said. “And definitely recruiting fosters and families that can help temporarily care for pets and get them out of the shelter for a time being.”
The shelter also recently opened a barn to house small livestock such as pigs, goats and chickens.
“That's an addition to the shelter that's just going to allow us to give just an exceptional level of care for some of the agricultural-type pets we see,” Gormley said. “We usually have to clear out a whole row of housing, usually like a dog kennel area, just to house a few of those animals. So the fact that we have the barn now and that we're going to have a separate area for them where it can be very fear-free and just a high level of care is super exciting for our team.”
