The bill mandates that health-related research facilities in Colorado offer dogs and cats used in research for adoption before euthanizing them. Key provisions include:
Adoption Offerings:
Facilities must first offer animals to their internal adoption programs.
If not adopted internally, animals must be offered to animal shelters or pet animal rescues.
Annual Reporting:
Facilities must submit annual reports to the Department of Public Health and Environment, detailing:
Total number of dogs and cats used in research.
Number transferred to shelters or rescues for adoption.
Number adopted through internal programs.
Names and addresses of shelters or rescues receiving animals.
This initiative aims to enhance animal welfare by providing research animals with opportunities for adoption, thereby reducing euthanasia rates.
Summary
The bill requires a facility that uses animals for health-related
research (health-related research facility) to offer a dog or cat to an animal shelter or a pet animal rescue for the purpose of adoption before euthanizing the animal. If the health-related research facility has an internal adoption program, the facility may first offer the dog or cat for adoption through the internal adoption program before offering the dog or cat to an animal shelter or a pet animal rescue.
A health-related research facility must submit an annual report to
the department of public health and environment that includes the following information for the previous year:
•
The total number of dogs and cats that are used for health-related research conducted at the health-related research facility;
•
The total number of dogs and cats that the health-related research facility transferred to an animal shelter or a pet animal rescue for the purpose of adoption;
•
The total number of dogs and cats that the health-related research facility adopted out through an internal adoption program; and
•
The name and address of each animal shelter or pet animal rescue to which the health-related research facility transferred a dog or cat for the purpose of adoption.
