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

It began with a geriatric black-Lab mix who’d been picked up as a stray and locked in a cage at the South Los Angeles animal shelter.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 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

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

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

Finding the exact information I want about the animal shelter is impossible.

From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty