General Adoption Fee Subsidy
This fund is used to cover either a part or the full cost of all adoption fees at the Pocatello Animal Shelter for a specific time frame. The lower adoption fees helps the shelter:
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Quickly find homes for animals
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Find homes faster for hard-to-place pets like seniors, pets with special needs, etc.
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Increase adoption rates
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Attract new adopters and allow previous adopters to add to their family at a lower cost
The fund is used on a consistent basis during Adopt A Shelter Cat Month (every June) and during Kitten Season which can start in February and last through mid-October.
You may have seen the Shelter post that all adoption fees are covered, half off, etc for a month or until a certain date - this is to help manage or avoid overcrowding and help more animals find homes, and it is all thanks to donations, sponsorships, and community involvement in our fundraisers!
Shelter improvements
The Pocatello Animal Shelter can only support the thousands of animals it houses while they wait for their forever homes as long as the building itself receives necessary updates and maintenance.
Friends of the Pocatello Animal Shelter and shelter staff work together to continuously evaluate improvements that benefit animal wellbeing.
We are also proud to support the happiness of the animals here, and in 2025 and 2026 undertook some large scale initiatives, including new veterinary equipment, new dog beds for all kennels, new food/water bowls, and new toys, enough for the full shelter population of dogs and cats!
Below are the details of just some of the large scale initiatives that we've been able to fund thanks to our wonderful community of animal lovers here in Pocatello!
Outdoor Kennel Covers
Outside kennels are used as a method to destress and socialize dogs. Previously, these were completely open above the surrounding chain link enclosures. This constantly exposed the dogs, volunteers and staff to direct sun, which was particularly punishing during the summer months.
To help resolve this, kennel coverings designed to withstand the wind and snow loads of this area were installed on both the front and south outdoor kennels.
As a result, dogs, staff, and volunteers can find relief during all seasons from rain, sun and snow, adding to the stress relief and socialization benefits of these large outdoor kennels.
Commercial Washer and Dryer Installation
After establishment of the new Pocatello Animal Shelter in 2015, the facility was reliant on used residential washers and dryers, thanks to the generous donations from individuals in the community.
Did you Know💡
The Pocatello Animal Shelter processes six to twelve residential washing machine-sized loads of laundry each day to keep up with regularly washing all bedding, cleaning rags, toys, and other cloth materials. And you thought your laundry was too much!
Limited capacity and periodic breakdowns continuously challenged shelter staff and volunteers in ensuring appropriate bedding and cleaning rags were always available.
Friends of the Pocatello Animal Shelter provided funding to obtain a Large Capacity Commercial Washer and Dryer, conduct facility modifications and construction to facilitate installation, and also provided the oversight to obtain all approvals, construction and installation associated with this project.
After installation of the Large Capacity Commercial Washer and Dryer, only a few loads of laundry need to be processed each day to ensure clean laundered materials are always available for animals of the Pocatello Animal Shelter.
This also freed up time for shelter staff and volunteers to allow them to provide the close contact and socialization craved by shelter residents.❤
Privacy Barrier Installation and Mural
The west outside dog kennels are used to introduce dogs to potential adopters and to provide for stress relief, exercise and play with staff and volunteers. With open chain link fencing all around these kennels, unnecessary distractions to the dogs can not only affect the interaction between dogs and potential adopters but reduce the ability of the outside kennels to lessen the stresses caused by shelter confinement.
A balance between the openness of the outside kennel and limiting distractions needed to be provided. Because these kennels are exposed to automobile traffic, parking lot and side walk activity. A barrier needed to be erected on the kennel’s west side. However, the large exposed bare surface of a barrier on the west side may present an open invitation for potential vandalization graffiti. As a result, it was determined that the barrier’s exposed external surface area would also need to be painted.
As a result, a barrier was erected on the west side of the existing outside kennels to provide relief in potential distractions. In addition, a local artist was contracted to provide a mural on the exposed surface. This mural helps to discourage future vandalization graffiti and provide for easier cleanup (the mural has an anti-graffiti coating to aid in restoration from graffiti) in addition to beautifying our Shelter.
Outside Kennel Concrete Installation
The outside dog kennels on the south and west side of the facility were initially constructed with artificial turf laid over a gravel surface for ground cover. The initial intension for this surface was to imitate natural grass for playing. However, the artificial turf started to fall apart and fragment contributing to potential hazards for animals, staff, and volunteers. In addition, the turf was very difficult to clean and sanitize sufficiently to prevent potential spread of bacteria and disease.
The outside dog kennels on the south side had been previously resurfaced with concrete using a Confidence Grant for the Pocatello Animal Shelter. However, the west outside dog kennels remain surfaced with artificial turf. The turf, and associated subsurface, needed to be replaced with concrete similar to that performed on the south outside dog kennels.
As a result of the west outside kennels being resurfaced with concrete versus the previously installed artificial turf, the walking/playing surface can be more confidently cleaned/sanitized and there will be no more material degradation. Furthermore, additional time was freed up to allow more time for the shelter staff and volunteers to provide the close contact and socialization craved by all shelter residents.
Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) Program Cat Kennels
As part of an overall effort to bring the Pocatello Animal Shelter towards achieving a no-kill status and to reduce the Pocatello feral cat population, the Pocatello Animal Shelter implemented a Community Cat Program or Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program.
Implementation of this program required the shelter to designate specific cat kennels internal to the shelter to house feral cats during the TNR process. This not only placed the TNR cats in close vicinity to socialized cats, but also limited available kennels when an influx of socialized cats needed to be housed.
In order to alleviate these issues and to provide space to house feral cats if additional holding times following spay/neutering are needed, cat kennels were constructed and placed in the garage area of the shelter.
These kennels not only provide additional space to house cats that are being processed through the TNR program in a safe, sanitary, and temperature control environment, it will also help the TNR program administrator keep feral and socialized cats separated at a larger greater distance.