The Dumb Friends League is a valuable community resource that deserves consideration for a $1,000 award from the Community Programs of The Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News.

Over the past 96 years, the Dumb Friends League has taken in millions of animals in trouble, caring for them with kindness and compassion. Whether lost and alone, abandoned and forsaken, or neglected by those in whom they placed their trust, the Dumb Friends League offers animals a safe haven, a place of comfort. We turn no animal away.

The Dumb Friends League is the largest open-admission, community-based animal welfare organization in the Rocky Mountain region. We sheltered and cared for more than 26,000 homeless pets in the past year.

In addition, our programs to promote better understanding of animal behavior, compassionate pet care and the human-animal bond set the standard for humane organizations nationwide.

We are a nonprofit organization, relying on donations. We are grateful for the generous support of our community.

Here's what we do:

UNITING PEOPLE AND PETS:

We care for 37 percent of all of Denver's abandoned animals. At our two shelters (Denver and Castle Rock) we take in an average of 75 dogs, cats, puppies and kittens - even small mammals and birds - every day.

Providing a safe haven for lost pets: We work diligently to find owners of lost animals, reuniting last year 2,736 pets and their people. Pets that are not claimed may be placed in our adoption program. Before they go to new homes, each one is spayed or neutered, receives a microchip implant and an identification tag.

Finding new homes for pets: Through our adoption program, we placed 14,914 animals last year. Some went to new homes within a matter of days; others received necessary medical care, socialization and training before they were matched with the right person.

Through a program called the Pet Connection, we offered second chances to 3,595 animals that were brought to us from other shelters in Colorado and surrounding states.

Keeping pets and people together for life: Among the most important work we do is helping to solve the behavior problems that result in animals being relinquished to shelters. Our programs for peers are national models, now offered online through The Humane Society University of The Humane Society of the United States.

We offer a variety of training classes for people and their pets 20 times a week.

NURTURING OUR FOUR-LEGGED FRIENDS:

Foster care: Some animals, including hundreds of litters of kittens, need extra nurturing before they are candidates for adoption. Annually, about 3,200 dogs and cats, puppies and kittens are cared for by 100 volunteers, who take them to their own homes and give them the special attention they need.

Extended care: Animals with medical needs are nursed back to health at our shelter. While most of these animals have upper-respiratory infections and recuperate within a short period, others require longer-term inpatient care. Many are offered for adoption during their recovery period. Animals recover much faster in a home than in any shelter setting.

REACHING OUT:

Rescuing and protecting animals in need: We respond to nearly 2,000 calls every year concerning companion animals and horses that are silent victims of abuse or neglect. We resolve most situations by educating the animal's owner about proper care. When necessary, however, our investigators, who are commissioned by the Colorado Bureau of Animal Protection, issue citations and rescue animals.

Teaching others about responsible pet care: Building on our 30-year history of humane education, we visit hundreds of schools a year, conduct accredited teacher re-certification classes, hold a summer day camp, and provide tours and presentations at our shelters. We educated 20,000 children and adults during the last year.

Our Web site includes animal behavior advice on 80 topics. Last year, it was accessed 2.8 million times by people all over the world.

Pets are Welcome: We help people with pets find housing that suits their needs. Our database includes 840 rental communities. We also provide information to property managers to help them select responsible pet owners as tenants.

Fighting pet overpopulation: Since 1989, every animal 8 weeks and older has been spayed or neutered before adoption from our shelters - an average of 23 a day during the past year.

Cats and kittens belonging to people in underserved Denver areas are altered for only $10 on the Meow Mobile, which travels to neighborhood sites three days a week. The Meow Mobile is a collaborative effort among the Animal Assistance Foundation, the Denver Area Veterinary Medical Society and the Dumb Friends League.

Dogs and cats throughout Colorado are spayed and neutered for a subsidized fee thanks to the Colorado Pet Overpopulation Fund, which is supported through a check-off on state tax returns. We helped get this fund established and are represented on its board of directors.

Improving animals' lives through collaboration: We partner with other local and national animal organizations to share best practices, support animal-friendly legislation and reach common goals on behalf of companion animals everywhere.