Every kennel at the Mesa County Animal Services Shelter is full. "We are seeing an increase in cases where people are bringing animals to us that they just can't afford to care for," says Mesa County Animal Services Director Penny McCarty.

And for every animal brought in there those that are just forgotten about.
"We are seeing an increase in the number of abuse and neglect investigations and calls that we are responding to."

McCarty says, "It's a tough decision to make and we have people come into the shelter just in tears but they are doing the right thing for the animal."
Roice -Hurst Humane Society is also packed with animals people just can't afford. Jennifer Harvey works at the shelter and says she knows just how hard it is to lose a pet. "I've lost my house and had to move into a trailer so I lost my pets because of it so I know where a lot of people are coming from but we are just running out of room."

Like Harvey many other pet owners are feeling the squeeze of a slowing economy. "People are just not able to take care of them so more just can't do it. With the economy and everything for some its impossible."

Harvey says to call the society first before bringing a pet down as they are at max capacity and for those pet owners who have no other options,
McCarty says, "We appreciate when people make that tough call and bring the animal to us so we can make sure it receives humane care."
It's something officials say is better then letting any pet try and survive on its own.