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Riley S. and her family adopted Pumpkin, a 9-year-old Rottweiler, from Colorado Animal Rescue during the ASPCA’s Rescue Effect campaign in September 2026. The campaign covered Pumpkin’s adoption fee, and C.A.R.E. said the campaign also helped it provide emergency boarding and veterinary care for other animals.
Riley S. and her family adopted Pumpkin, a 9-year-old, 130-pound Rottweiler, from Colorado Animal Rescue during the ASPCA’s Rescue Effect campaign in September 2026. The campaign covered Pumpkin’s adoption fee and, according to the shelter, helped free up space and resources for other animals needing care.
Pumpkin first arrived at Colorado Animal Rescue, known as C.A.R.E., in May 2025 after her family had to move and could not find pet-friendly housing, the shelter’s programs director, Maggie Niehoff, said. After spay and dental surgery, Pumpkin was adopted, but she returned to C.A.R.E. about a year later when her adopter’s health declined. The shelter then shared her profile in hopes of finding her another home.
Riley said she found Pumpkin on C.A.R.E.’s website while her family was grieving the loss of their 13-year-old dog, Kati. Riley and her husband, Alex, live in Grand Junction, nearly two hours from the shelter, and checked on Pumpkin while trying to arrange a visit. Riley and a friend drove to C.A.R.E. over Labor Day weekend; she adopted Pumpkin the following day.
Riley said she expected to pay an adoption fee, but learned the campaign covered it. She said Pumpkin also went home with a dog bed, collar, food, name tag and microchip; Riley bought a harness. At home, Pumpkin is called “Punky” and lives with Riley, Alex, their sons Walker and Nolan, a Miniature Australian Shepherd named Peanut, and a cat named Pretzel.
How Pumpkin’s Adoption Aided Other Animals
The reported outcome extends beyond one adoption. C.A.R.E. said that by freeing kennel space during the campaign, it could respond to requests for help and take in animals needing care. Niehoff said the shelter provided emergency boarding for two dogs whose owner was hospitalized, accepted two heartworm-positive adult dogs transferred from a nearby shelter, and cared for a puppy with broken hind legs after it was hit by a car.
The account offers a specific example of how an adoption campaign can affect shelter capacity, alongside the individual result for Pumpkin and her new family. C.A.R.E. attributed the fee coverage to the ASPCA campaign, but did not report campaign-wide adoption totals or quantify how much additional capacity it created.
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Pumpkin’s Return to C.A.R.E.
Pumpkin’s path to adoption included an initial placement and a return to the shelter. C.A.R.E. said her first family surrendered her after a move left them unable to find pet-friendly housing, a circumstance Niehoff described as one of the main reasons pets come into the shelter’s care. Pumpkin was later adopted after receiving spay and dental surgery, then returned when her adopter’s health unexpectedly declined.
In September 2026, C.A.R.E. participated in The Rescue Effect, described by the ASPCA as a national campaign to help animals find homes. With ASPCA support, C.A.R.E. waived adoption fees during the campaign. Riley said she had previously known the shelter through her parents’ adoption experience, but did not know the campaign was underway when she visited to meet Pumpkin.
““Sadly, this is one of the main reasons pets end up in our care.””
— Maggie Niehoff, C.A.R.E. programs director
Campaign Results Beyond Pumpkin
The account does not give the total number of animals adopted through C.A.R.E.’s participation, the amount of adoption fees covered, or the campaign’s effect on shelter capacity beyond the examples Niehoff cited. It also does not provide details about the medical outcomes of the heartworm-positive dogs or the puppy with broken legs. Those animals’ longer-term status is not specified.
The report describes Pumpkin as settled in with Riley’s family, but provides no later update on her health or adjustment. No broader campaign results or follow-up figures are included in the supplied account.
Pumpkin’s Life With Her New Family
The immediate next chapter is Pumpkin’s life at home with Riley, Alex and their children. Riley said Pumpkin has settled in quickly and is “with us for the long haul”; the family also introduced her to Peanut and Pretzel. The report does not announce further plans or a scheduled follow-up.
For C.A.R.E., the next steps for the other animals are their ongoing care, including the cases Niehoff described. The shelter did not provide timelines for their treatment or adoption, nor did it announce whether it would repeat its participation in The Rescue Effect.
Key Questions
Who adopted Pumpkin?
Riley S. and her family adopted Pumpkin from Colorado Animal Rescue in September 2026. At home, the family calls her Punky.
Why did Pumpkin return to the shelter?
Pumpkin’s adopter’s health unexpectedly declined, so she returned to C.A.R.E. about a year after her initial adoption.
What did The Rescue Effect cover?
The ASPCA-supported campaign covered Pumpkin’s adoption fee at C.A.R.E. Riley said she also took home a dog bed, collar, food, name tag and microchip, while buying a harness herself.
How did C.A.R.E. say the campaign helped other animals?
C.A.R.E. said adoptions freed kennel space, allowing it to provide emergency boarding for two dogs and take in two heartworm-positive dogs and a puppy with broken hind legs for care.
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