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Riley S. and her family adopted Pumpkin, a 9-year-old Rottweiler, from Colorado Animal Rescue during an ASPCA-supported adoption campaign. The shelter says adoptions also freed space for emergency boarding and for dogs needing veterinary care.
Riley S. and her family adopted Pumpkin, a 9-year-old, 130-pound Rottweiler, from Colorado Animal Rescue (C.A.R.E.) during an ASPCA-supported adoption campaign that covered the dog’s fee. The shelter says the campaign helped make room for other animals needing emergency boarding and veterinary care.
Pumpkin first arrived at C.A.R.E. in May 2025 after her previous family moved and could not find pet-friendly housing, according to Maggie Niehoff, the shelter’s programs director. 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 online as it looked for another home.
Riley and her husband, Alex, had been grieving the loss of their 13-year-old dog, Kati, and began considering adopting again. Riley said her parents had adopted from C.A.R.E. before, and she found Pumpkin on the shelter’s website. The family lives in Grand Junction, nearly two hours from the shelter, and contacted C.A.R.E. while checking on the dog’s availability.
Riley drove to the shelter with a friend over Labor Day weekend and adopted Pumpkin the next day. She said she did not know the shelter was participating in the campaign until she returned to complete the adoption. The fee was covered; Riley also said C.A.R.E. sent Pumpkin home with a dog bed, collar, food, name tag and microchip. The family now calls her “Punky.”
How Pumpkin’s Adoption Freed Shelter Space
The adoption had consequences beyond placing one dog in a home. Niehoff said that freeing kennel space during the campaign allowed C.A.R.E. to respond to other needs. The shelter provided emergency boarding for two adult dogs whose owner was hospitalized and accepted two heartworm-positive dogs from a nearby shelter.
C.A.R.E. also took in a puppy with broken hind legs after it was hit by a car and provided veterinary care, according to Niehoff. Those examples show how an adoption can create room for shelter staff to help other animals, though the report does not give figures for total adoptions, campaign costs or the number of animals assisted overall.
For Pumpkin’s new family, the development meant bringing home a dog they had already grown attached to online. Riley said Pumpkin settled in quickly and gets along with the family’s Miniature Australian Shepherd, Peanut, and their cat, Pretzel. The family’s experience is one account from the campaign, not a measure of its overall results.
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Pumpkin’s Return to C.A.R.E.
Pumpkin’s path to adoption involved two changes of home. Her first recorded stay at C.A.R.E. followed a housing problem: her family moved and could not secure a pet-friendly place. After she was treated and adopted, a later health decline affecting the adopter led to her return to the shelter. The ASPCA report does not provide further details about either family’s circumstances.
In September 2026, C.A.R.E. took part in The Rescue Effect, a national ASPCA campaign intended to help animals find homes. The campaign supported waived adoption fees at the shelter. Riley said her parents’ past experience with C.A.R.E. led her to browse its website while her family was ready to consider another dog after Kati’s death.
The match began with Pumpkin’s online profile, but Riley and Alex still contacted the shelter and arranged a visit before adoption. Their trip from Grand Junction took nearly two hours each way, according to the report. The timing of the campaign meant the family paid no adoption fee when they completed the process.
“Sadly, this is one of the main reasons pets end up in our care.”
— Maggie Niehoff, programs director at C.A.R.E.
Campaign Results Beyond This Adoption
The ASPCA report describes Pumpkin’s adoption and several other cases supported by space at C.A.R.E., but it does not state how many animals were adopted during the campaign, how many adoption fees were waived, or how long the campaign ran at the shelter. It also gives no financial breakdown of the support provided by the ASPCA.
The account does not include independent confirmation or additional comments from the adopter’s previous family, the shelter’s partner organization, or the ASPCA beyond its description of the campaign. The reported outcomes for the dogs receiving boarding or treatment are not detailed beyond the care C.A.R.E. said it provided. No wider campaign impact can be established from this individual report alone.
Pumpkin’s New Home and Shelter Care
Pumpkin is now living with Riley, Alex, their sons Walker and Nolan, Peanut and Pretzel. Riley said the family considers the adoption permanent and that Pumpkin is “with us for the long haul.” The report does not describe any scheduled follow-up or additional milestones for the family.
C.A.R.E. said the available kennel space supported emergency boarding, transfers and treatment for animals in need. The ASPCA report does not announce further campaign dates or provide a later tally of those services. Any broader assessment of The Rescue Effect’s results will depend on additional information about adoptions and shelter outcomes.
Key Questions
Who adopted Pumpkin?
Riley S. and her family adopted Pumpkin from Colorado Animal Rescue. Riley’s husband is Alex, and their sons are Walker and Nolan.
How old is Pumpkin, and what kind of dog is she?
Pumpkin is a 9-year-old Rottweiler who weighs 130 pounds, according to the ASPCA report.
Why was Pumpkin’s adoption fee waived?
C.A.R.E. was participating in The Rescue Effect, an ASPCA campaign that supported waived adoption fees. Riley said she learned the fee was covered when she returned to finalize the adoption.
How did the campaign help other animals?
C.A.R.E. said the adoptions freed kennel space for emergency boarding for two dogs, transfers of two heartworm-positive dogs and care for a puppy with broken hind legs. The report does not provide a total count of animals helped.
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