Pets put to death in Colorado declining, but some shelters kill more than they save

By Michael de Yoanna
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Photo: Dog in shelter
Last year, more than 17,000 dogs, cats and other animals were put to death in animal shelters across Colorado. That's more than 46 pets a day. That may seem stunning, but it actually represents a 62-percent decline from a decade ago, when nearly 46,000 animals were killed in shelters.

The state’s role

Meanwhile, the sponsors of “no-kill” campaigns say reform is needed so that shelters put animals to death only in the rarest of cases, such as animals too vicious to handle or animals that could spread diseases. The movement, which could establish a ballot measure in coming years, says a tax on pet shops would raise $6 million to help shelters save more pets from the injection needle.

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