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

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Etymology

Origin of animal shelter

First recorded in 1890–95

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

animal shelter

Another cat, Purdy, was adopted from the local animal shelter to join Kaplanis’s other cat, Sheba, at the store.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026

A clergyman I met at Reagan National Airport recently told me that our world is as filled with corruption as a Latin American animal shelter is filled with fleas.

From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026

Multiple buildings stand on the property, including three separate guesthouses, a 5,500-square-foot movie theater with a stage, several barns, animal shelter facilities, corrals, and a maintenance shop.

From MarketWatch ● May 5, 2026

Dogs at the Chesterfield Square animal shelter have been kept inside their kennels for three weeks due to a giardia outbreak.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2026

But this one volunteers at an animal shelter.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

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