Colorado Pet Store Ban Does More Harm Than Good

Posted on by Elizabeth Coalson
Last week, the City of Fort Collins, Colorado passed an ordinance prohibiting the sale of dogs and cats in pet stores. (Or should we say “store” since there is only one operating pet store in the City.) We’ve written our arguments against shutting down and banning retail pet stores before, but they’re worth repeating. 1. There is NO EVIDENCE banning pet stores improves the lives of dogs and cats in large-scale commercial breeding facilities (“puppy mills”). 2. Banning lawfully operated businesses such as pet stores sets a precedent for government impingement on a free market economy. 3. When businesses are...Read More

National Canine in the News – Trends in Dog Owner Surrenders

Posted on by Elizabeth Coalson
In 2023, more than 16,000 dogs were surrendered to Colorado animal shelters by their owners, an increase of 22% compared to pre-COVID (2019) and a 9% increase over 2022. We're told there has been no sign of the numbers reversing the trend. Oftentimes, whether or not a dog owner keeps their pet in their home is a matter of resources, many of which may be unknown to owners needing help. National Canine is committed to helping keep dogs in their homes and out of the shelters. We are honored that our work was the subject of a local CBS news...Read More

National Canine in the News – Euthanasia Trending Up in Colorado

Posted on by Elizabeth Coalson
There are only so many ways a shelter can manage its population of animals given the fixed physical space they have to house them. (If you haven't seen our blog post about how animal shelters manage their populations, you can read it here.) One of the ways shelters balance their intake with outcomes is the euthanasia of dogs deemed to be less likely to be adopted. It's a sad, gut-wrenching thing to think about, and the community plays a critical role in keeping more dogs alive. In the first of a two-part series, National Canine assisted our local CBS station...Read More