Are you looking for information on animal ownership and care laws in Central Colorado? If so, you've come to the right place. This article will provide an overview of the regulations that apply to certain types of animals in the region. The Colorado statutes represent state dog laws. There are provisions on civil actions against dog owners for dog bites, rabies control, and other animals.
Although most of the pets that people keep are allowed inside the city, certain regulations apply to each type of animal. The following sections describe the regulations that apply to certain types of animals. As an expert in animal ownership and care laws in Central Colorado, it is important to understand the regulations that apply to different types of animals. The list of regulations is not exhaustive; animal owners should investigate all regulations by calling the Pikes Peak Region Humane Society or the Land Use Review Division (contact information is below).
For more information on animal law enforcement, public pet services or pet adoption, or to support animal welfare in our region, visit the Pikes Peak Humane Society. Animal slaughter is prohibited in residential lots. Hoofed animals, including goats that weigh less than 100 pounds at maturity, such as dwarf or pygmy goats for urban agriculture purposes, must meet the following zoning requirements: for other regulations related to pot-bellied pigs, contact the Pikes Peak Region Animal Welfare Society. Exotic animals are those that are not commonly domesticated or common in North America or that, regardless of their geographical origin, are wild or predatory in nature.
It is illegal for anyone to own or keep an exotic animal within city limits unless they have first obtained an exotic animal permit. The permit application must be submitted to the Pikes Peak Region Humane Society along with all required fees. Under this law, commissioned BAP officers can conduct investigations related to animal abuse and issue citations and complaints, usually in collaboration with local law enforcement. Misrepresenting a pet as a service animal or ESA is considered a Class 2 misdemeanor under Colorado law.
Colorado requires housing providers to follow FHA regulations, but it also has laws that prohibit claiming that a pet is an assistance animal. If you have an emotional or mental disability, you may qualify for an emotional support animal in Colorado. Dogs (canis lupus familiaris) and cats (felis catus) that are adopted from Colorado animal shelters and rescues become state pets of the state of Colorado and are declared state pets of the state of Colorado. The Americans with Disabilities Act provides the legal definition of a service animal that applies in Colorado and all other states.
When considered advisable in the interest of public health and safety, the health board of an organized health department or a county board of health may order that all dogs, cats, other companion animals, or other mammals in the county or district be vaccinated against rabies, carried out by an authorized veterinarian or under indirect supervision. Nothing in this part 1 is intended to confer authority on any person committed to enforce any resolution, ordinance or statute other than the county dog control resolution or any other county resolution related to the control of companion animals or municipal ordinance. This Colorado law states that the trust fund is valid for the care of designated domestic or companion animals and the offspring of pregnant animals. Whenever a dog, cat, other companion animal or other mammal is affected by rabies or is suspected to be affected by rabies or has been bitten by an animal known or suspected of being affected by rabies, the owner of the dog, cat, other pet animal or other mammal, or anyone who is aware of it, must immediately notify the health department or health officer of the county, city or town in which the animal is located, stating precisely where that animal can be found.
The control provisions of that resolution shall not apply to dogs while working livestock, locating or retrieving wild game animals in season for a licensed hunter, or assisting law enforcement officers or while being trained for any of these activities. Colorado law emphasizes the protection of ESAs and requires that employers give due consideration to their presence. It is illegal for any person, company, or corporation to ship or drive any livestock to Colorado unless such livestock is accompanied by an official health certificate, except as established in regulations issued by the commissioner. For the purposes of this section, a person will be considered to be lawfully on public or private property if they fulfill a duty imposed on them by local, state or federal laws or regulations or if they are in a property at the express or implied invitation of the property owner or if they are on their own property.
In Colorado, ESA housing laws are clear but taking your emotional support animal in public is more complicated. It's important for pet owners to understand all applicable laws before bringing their pet into Central Colorado.
