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Colorado bill would require transfer of dogs, cats used in research to animal shelters

By Marissa Ventrelli 02/08/2024 | updated 2 years ago

Some Colorado lawmakers want to require facilities that use animals for health-related research to transfer dogs and cats deemed in good health to animal shelters, rather than euthanize them.

The bill’s supporters said the legislation would increase transparency and ethical treatment of animals in the field of medical research. 

Backed by Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis, D- Lafayette, Senate Bill 067 would also require the facilities to submit annual reports about the number of animals and species they kept, and how many animals underwent research that involved pain or no pain, among other benchmarks, to the Department of Public Health and Environment. 

Meredith Blanchard of the National Anti-Vivisection Society, who supported the bill, said she said she anticipates that testing facilities will readily comply with the legislation, given they won’t bear the financial responsibility for transferring animals to shelters or any medical issues that may arise upon the animal’s adoption.

The bill says the research facility that transfers animals to a shelter in good faith is immune from civil liability.

“If they do go into a home and get sick for some reason and that reason is tied back to the research facility, the research facilities are absolved of any responsibility to the animal,” she said. “This is a good thing because it makes it easier for research facilities to let the animals go. This legislation makes total sense.”

Blanchard called the bill a common sense proposal and emphasized its reporting requirements, saying the mandates are not currently in place at the federal level.  

“Because of the lack of reporting that these facilities have to do, we really have no idea what animals experience on a day-to-day basis and what kind of procedures they’re put through,” she said. “There is some reporting that has to be done to the USDA that gives us an idea of how many animals are being used in research and testing, but we don’t know anything about what those animals experience. This reporting provision would be fantastic to help us learn what types of research is being done on these animals.” 

According to Blanchard, 17 other states currently have similar laws and some have expanded the scope to include additional animals, such as ferrets.

Representatives Lorena Garcia, D-Westminster, and Manny Rutinel, D-Commerce City, are also sponsors of the bill. 

Kaua’I, a 5-year-old, male gray-and-white domestic shorthaired cat available for adoption at the Denver Animal Shelter. He is neutered, litter box trained, good with other cats and extremely affectionate, the shelter said in a release.
Photo courtesy of the Denver Animal Shelter
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Marissa Ventrelli

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