A recent CBS Colorado news story paints a grim picture of the state of animal shelters in Colorado, with a surge in kill rates and shelters seeing an increase of the number of dogs being surrendered. The story does not mention cats and other shelter pets. However, the narrative presented is misleading and disingenuous, ignoring critical context and facts that point to a deeper, systemic problem.
First, none of the shelters mentioned in the report are “No Kill.” These so-called "socially conscious" shelters have a long history of opposing No Kill policies, despite over a decade of advocacy from animal welfare groups urging them to adopt practices that would save more lives. These shelters have resisted change even as thousands of animals continue to be needlessly killed.
This opposition was most evident in the last legislative session, when the Colorado Rescue Act was proposed. This act was designed specifically to save more lives, with provisions to help get more pets out of Colorado shelters and into loving homes. Yet, the very shelters now complaining about out-of-state transfers of dogs were the ones that fiercely opposed this legislation. Instead of embracing a solution that could have reduced the number of Colorado homeless pets being killed, they chose to spend considerable resources and money to block it—resources that could have been used to save lives.
The shelters claim that decreased revenue is to blame for the current crisis. However, history tells a different story. When revenue has increased in the past, these shelters did not correspondingly save more lives. The problem is not a lack of money but a lack of commitment to saving every healthy and treatable homeless pet.
The real solution lies in making homeless pets in Colorado's shelter system more accessible to rescue organizations. Every PACFA licensee should be allowed to pull any pet from Colorado shelters, ensuring that more animals have a chance at finding a home. Make it easier to save lives locally.
One rescue that asked to not be identified as it could risk any chance of pulling from a large well-funded shelter in Colorado, said, "It is easier to drive to another state, pull dogs on death row there, and bring them back". Another said, "I would absolutely pull in Colorado if a euthanasia list was available from Colorado shelters". Shelters in other states have few if any restrictions for rescues trying to save lives, Colorado needs to do the same.
It’s time for these regressive Colorado shelters to stop pointing fingers and start taking action that aligns with the values of true animal welfare—saving as many lives as possible.
The problem isn't out-of-state transfers or fluctuating revenues; it’s the persistent refusal to adopt policies that prioritize life-saving locally. The sooner Colorado's shelters embrace No Kill principles, the sooner we can end the needless killing of thousands of animals each year.
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