by The Colony, Texas — As holiday travel ramps up across North Texas, officials at The Colony Animal Care Services say they are preparing for a troubling seasonal pattern: pets being surrendered to shelters under the guise of permanent relinquishment, when the real intent may be short-term boarding.
Inside the shelter this week, dogs donned festive accessories and enjoyed a holiday-themed celebration complete with special treats and a surprise visit from a local state representative playing Santa. But behind the cheerful scenes, staff are quietly bracing for a surge that arrives almost every year around Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Limited space, growing concern
The Colony Animal Care Services operates with 27 dog kennels and 35 cat spaces, making capacity a constant concern. Director Mark Cooper said many animals that arrive at the shelter have already been through difficult circumstances.
While some owners surrender pets for understandable reasons, Cooper said the holidays introduce a different kind of challenge.
“There’s a multitude of reasons why people surrender,” Cooper said. “Some are very understandable.”
Financial hardship, housing changes, and pet size are among the common explanations. The shelter even partners with food banks to help owners keep their pets at home when possible.
But not every reason is so practical.
“We’ve had animals surrendered because their fur didn’t match their furniture,” Cooper said.
Holiday travel sparks questionable surrenders
Unlike large municipal shelters, The Colony’s facility follows a more boarding-oriented, live-release-focused model, taking in about 1,200 to 1,300 animals each year. Seasonal trends play a major role in intake numbers.
Spring and summer typically bring a surge as families travel and school lets out. But Cooper said the holidays introduce a different issue — owners attempting to avoid boarding or kennel fees.
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“It’s summertime, a lot of people travel,” Cooper explained. “But Thanksgiving and Christmas are when we start seeing people try to use surrender as boarding.”
Under city rules, once an animal is surrendered, after fewer than five days it becomes city property. That means the pet may be adopted out, transferred to a rescue, or — in some cases — euthanized.
Calls begin before Thanksgiving
This year’s warning signs came early. Cooper said the shelter began receiving calls on November 21, just days before Thanksgiving.
“Within the first 30 minutes of being open, we had already received four calls,” he said. “People specifically said they needed to surrender their animals because they were leaving town for Thanksgiving.”
Staff expect another wave in the days leading up to Christmas, followed by a post-holiday spike when pets no longer fit into family routines.
“After the holidays, when the dog isn’t as cute anymore or it’s grown too big, that’s when we see another increase,” Cooper said.
Shelter is not a boarding facility
Cooper emphasized that animal shelters are not pet hotels, and attempting to use them as temporary boarding can permanently separate owners from their pets.
Reunification in these cases is rare, he said. When staff determine that an owner misrepresented their intent, the individual may be placed on a do-not-adopt list, preventing future adoptions from the shelter.
The policy is designed to protect animals and discourage misuse of limited shelter resources.
How other North Texas shelters compare
Not all area shelters are seeing the same trend.
Dallas Animal Services said it is not currently experiencing an increase in holiday-related owner surrenders. Fort Worth Animal Care & Control reported a similar situation, crediting its managed intake program.
A Fort Worth spokesperson explained that owner surrenders there are handled by appointment only, allowing staff to conduct background checks on animals and better prepare for placement.
Officials said that approach helps reduce impulsive or misleading surrenders while improving outcomes for pets.
A reminder for pet owners
As holiday travel plans are finalized, shelter officials are urging pet owners to explore alternatives such as trusted pet sitters, family care, or legitimate boarding services.
Cooper stressed that surrendering a pet — even temporarily — carries serious and often irreversible consequences.
The shelter’s message is simple: If you surrender your pet, there is no guarantee you will ever get them back.
With kennels filling quickly and seasonal pressures mounting, staff say the best outcome is always keeping pets safely in their homes whenever possible.
As the holidays approach, shelters across North Texas continue balancing compassion for people with their primary responsibility — protecting the animals in their care.
What do you think should be done to prevent shelters from being used as holiday boarding? Share your thoughts in the comments.
