What are the dog laws in Colorado? Does Colorado have dog laws? If you live in this state, you might be wondering what the law says about issues like rabies vaccination, dog bites, dog abandonment, or dog cruelty.
Read on for more information about dog laws in Colorado.
Rabies Vaccination Laws
Colorado requires that any dog must be vaccinated for rabies once they are four months old. A new dog owner must ensure their pet is vaccinated within 90 days of beginning ownership.
Unvaccinated animals who are exposed to rabies likely face euthanasia. Potentially, they may be allowed to stay in a strict 10-day quarantine. If they develop rabies symptoms in this time, they will be euthanized.
A veterinarian can issue a vaccination waiver. This is in cases where the dog cannot receive the rabies vaccine for medical reasons. In these cases, a vet can make the determination to give them medical exemption. This must always be done with written consent from the owner. Dogs with medical waivers are still unvaccinated for legal purposes.
Dog Bite Laws
In Colorado, dog owners are liable for damages caused by their dogs. This includes circumstances in which the owner was not present. For example, if a dog walker was handling the dog and the dog bit someone, the owner would be responsible.
There are some cases in which a dog owner will not be liable for a dog bite. These cases are:
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If the victim attacked was trespassing on private or public property.
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In the case of the attack occurring while the victim was on the dog owner’s property and the property was clearly marked with posted warning signs.
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If the dog was being used by a police officer or military personnel for official duties.
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In a case where the victim knowingly provoked the dog. For example, throwing things at, yelling, or hitting a dog is provocation.
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If the victim was a veterinarian, dog groomer, humane agency staff, professional dog trainer or dog show judge. In a case where the victim was doing their job at the time of the attack, the dog’s owner is unlikely to be liable.
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If the dog was working, hunting, herding, farming, or doing other jobs while on its owner’s property.
To collect damages in Colorado, a victim must suffer severe injury. For example, a nip from an untrained puppy would likely not be enough to constitute a lawsuit.
Victims must file lawsuits within two years of the incident. Outside of this time, they are considered past the statute of limitations.
Dog Cruelty Laws
In Colorado, abandoning an animal is still considered animal cruelty. Abandonment covers several scenarios for the purpose of this law. Leaving your dog at a vet or boarding kennel, then not claiming them within 10 days of pickup, is abandonment. But it’s also abandonment to leave your dog at your home without adequate food, water, or shelter. If the state finds that you have abandoned your dog, you relinquish all rights to their ownership.
CRS 18-9-202 is the Colorado statute that prohibits cruelty to animals. This section makes it a crime to abuse, neglect, or abandon an animal for which the person has responsibility.
Cruelty to animals is a class 1 misdemeanor and aggravated cruelty or a second conviction of animal cruelty is class 6 felony in Colorado.
A first offense of animal cruelty can carry up to 18 months of jail time. They may also have to pay $500-1000 in fines. Typically, however, the court does not mandate jail time for a first time offender. Instead, the court may ask the owner to give up custody of their animals and take part in anger management classes.
However, aggravated animal cruelty is always a felony. Aggravated animal cruelty is severe mistreatment, often resulting in death to the animal. This does not apply in some cases, such as in self-defense.
As in the other 49 states, dogfighting is a felony in Colorado. This doesn’t apply only to those who fight their animals. It also applies to promoters or spectators of these events. Yes — watching a dogfight is also a felony.
Tethering Laws
Tethering is not prohibited in Colorado. There are no state-wide laws regarding tethering dogs. But, tethered dogs are still subject to requirements enforced by other animal cruelty laws. For example, Colorado requires that animals have adequate shelter. If you tether your dog, it’s reasonable to assume they should have a shelter accessible to them. Some counties do have individual tethering laws. So, depending on where you live in Colorado, there may be stricter requirements.
How Colorado Dog Laws Rank Among Other States
The good news is, Colorado is one of the best states in the U.S. for animal welfare! The Animal Legal Defense Fund ranks Colorado at a whopping number 4 out of all 50 states. Why does Colorado score so high? Veterinarians are bound by the law to report suspected animal cruelty, and have immunity for doing so. Additionally, there is mandatory mental health evaluation/treatment for convicted animal cruelty offenders. These treatments hold an emphasis on addressing causative factors. This plays a large part in preventing future animal cruelty. But, there’s still room for improvement. For example, the possession ban statute only includes “pet animal[s]”. And, it is not mandatory for misdemeanor animal cruelty.
