animal shelter

American  

[an-uh-muhl shel-ter] / ˈæn ə məl ˌʃɛl tər /

noun

animal shelters plural

1. an establishment, maintained by local government or supported by charitable contributions, that provides a temporary home for dogs, cats, and other animals that are offered for adoption, and puts to sleep homeless animals that have been deemed unsuitable for adoption.

   The animal shelter is requesting donations of old towels, blankets, and other linens.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• animal shelters
  plural

Etymology

Origin of animal shelter

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

animal shelter

What if she decided that she would like to leave this house to an animal shelter or if she needed to sell it to pay for long-term care?

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 4, 2026

Chu’s office visited an animal shelter in the wake of the Eaton fire and encountered a gray cat with severe burns on its face and all four legs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 24, 2026

He was adopted from the renowned London animal shelter, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, when he was believed to be about four years old.

From Barron's ● Feb. 15, 2026

A health store worker and animal shelter volunteer, Ms Cordingley was well known, and well loved, by the local community and her death caused an outpouring of grief across the state of Queensland.

From BBC ● Dec. 8, 2025

Three weeks before their wedding, Susan took Fred to an animal shelter on East 110th Street, where she told a whole bunch of lies, including “My fiancé is allergic to him.”

From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein