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

County Animal Care and Control has set up an animal shelter at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds, according to the city.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 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

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

“Let’s find a local animal shelter to work with,” suggests Emily.

From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein

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