Proposed pet registration bill soon to be postponed in Colorado Legislature

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) – A bill that could potentially impact every pet owner in the State of Colorado will soon be postponed. It’s something many people are talking about. The proposal would have required owners to register their pets with the state to ensure that the animal has someone to care of it, if there is a tragedy.

The proposal would have involved an annual fee of at $8.50 and more if the animal was not spayed or neutered.

The bill’s sponsor told 11News it was intended to help first responders pair the animal with the proper care giver instead of having to send them to a shelter, however she said she received a lot of backlash quickly.

“People were wishing death for me. People were saying, ‘I hope you die with this bill’,” said Representative Regina English with House District 17.

Representative English introduced the ‘Pet Animal Registration System’ bill to the house’s agriculture committee at the end of January.

The 13 page bill was intended to create a state enterprise to connect animals to a caregiver if their owner can’t care for them.

“With the elderly, if they fall and break a hip, unfortunately someone will call and say that there is a dog left behind or first responders will ask what to do with them. It’s always a juggling act. This bill would definitely I think help stop the juggling and make it an easier transition for the animal,” said Rogue Wolff, the founder of White Rose Sanctuary.

Wolff told 11News the bill would have taken the burden off shelters all across the state.

Some of pet owners we spoke with said that if a few dollars extra per year meant that their pet would be taken care of, it would be worth it.

“I was actually considering to find her a godparent of some kind, so if I did kill myself while snowboarding or something that she wouldn’t be alone or neglected,” said Graham Conger, a pet owner.

Others said they were worried about the additional expense.

“What if you have more than one pet? Just feeding your animal is expensive enough, not even including shots or vet bills,” said Kayla Alstin, another pet owner.

Ultimately the bill will be postponed at the end of the week, English attributes it to a misunderstanding.

“I definitely did not intend to cause financial harm or distress to anyone,” said English.

Representative English said she would like to revist the idea later.

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