A Frank Conversation About Euthanasia

Posted on by Elizabeth Coalson
The word “euthanasia” itself comes from the Greek words “eu” (good) and “thanatos” (death). The idea is that instead of condemning someone to a slow, painful, or undignified death, euthanasia would allow the patient to experience a relatively “good death.” We’ve said it before and will say it again, Colorado’s shelters are full, and they are struggling. In 2022, Colorado shelters took in almost 58,500 dogs, with 45,000 going into our 10 largest shelters. These largest shelters operate under the Socially Conscious Sheltering (SCS) framework and work hard to place every healthy and safe animal. To do so is becoming more and...Read More

Breed-Specific Bans – Your Dog Could be Next

Posted on by Elizabeth Coalson
Breed-specific legislation (BSL) targets dog breeds believed to be dangerous to humans and other animals, which is based on flawed information, public fear, and governments’ desire to appease those fears. A short history lesson…in the 1980s, BSL began to gain popularity because of media attention on “pit bull” attacks, spurring governments into action to quell public fears. Research into dog breeds and aggression was conducted based entirely on PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS and, viola, the “breed list” was born identifying dog breeds thought to be inherently aggressive or more prone to biting (e.g., pit bull mixes, Rottweilers, Dobermans and Boxers). It should...Read More

National Canine Supports Modification to Colorado Pet Sterilization Laws

Posted on by Elizabeth Coalson
Experts estimate that one intact female dog and her offspring can potentially produce 67,000 dogs over six years. Multiply that by the millions of intact females in the United States and you’ve got an overpopulation problem.Colorado has worked hard to educate communities about the importance of sterilizing their pets and our low number of homeless pets reflects those efforts. Another key factor in controlling pet overpopulation in Colorado is a law that requires all dogs and cats to be sterilized before being adopted out by animal shelters and rescues.Several Colorado rescue organizations were taking advantage of an exception under the...Read More