Whether we like it or not, animals are being tested for medical purposes in Colorado. When the testing has been completed on these dogs and cats, what happens to them? More often than not, these animals were put to sleep via euthanasia.
A new Colorado law has put a stop to that. Governor Jared Polis has signed a new bill that would give these test animals a second chance at a normal life before being euthanized. Colorado Senate Bill 805 was sponsored by Cathy Kipp of Fort Collins, John Carson of Highland Ranch, Manny Rutinel of Greenwood Village, and Amy Paschal of Colorado Springs.
The new Colorado law requires facilities that test on animals, such as dogs and cats, to offer the animals to local shelters after they are no longer needed for testing by these facilities. The facilities can also offer an internal adoption program as an exception as well.
Test Animals Get a Second Chance to Live Life in Colorado
In addition to the requirement of offering adoption, the bill also required facilities to submit an annual report to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment that would outline the total number of dogs and cats that are transferred to a local Colorado shelter or rescue.
According to Colorado Politics, data shows that 602 dogs and 185 cats were utilized in medical research in the state of Colorado at locations such as Colorado State University, Colorado Mountain College, and Bel-Rea Institute of Animal Technology in 2023…