DENVER — The State of Colorado is looking to crack down on rabies vaccinations months after an animal rescue was ordered to euthanize a litter of puppies, and the proposed rule change would have an impact on those who do the rescuing.
The Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act (PACFA), under the Colorado Department of Agriculture, oversees the care of all Colorado licensed animal facilities. The organization proposed a rule requiring all pets brought to an animal facility from out of state to have a rabies vaccine.
"It’s a double-edged sword," said Brittany Krumholz, a director with Colorado Puppy Rescue. "I understand needing to create regulation to keep the humans safe. But a ban on any animal or any pet animal that’s under 12 weeks old seems drastic given the landscape of how frequently this has happened over the last few years."
Over the summer, two rescue puppies from another organization tested positive for rabies. Twelve animals in total were euthanized because of the incident. It was one of the reasons why the new rule was proposed during a PACFA meeting in October.
"What's scary about the most recent rabies case, the exposure rate was really high," said Nick Fisher, the PACFA program section chief, during that meeting. "All it would take is somebody to die, especially a child who has been exposed to rabies who didn’t go through the rabies prophylaxis, and we would be right back here where we are today."
During that meeting, the Colorado Department of Health and Environment (CDPHE) shared their support for the rule change. Aron Jones, owner of Mom and Mutts Colorado, also spoke. Mom and Mutts is the organization that dealt with the rabies incident over the summer.
"As the rescue that dealt with this firsthand, I don’t disagree with the health department at all," Jones said. "This was a nightmare. It was awful for everyone involved. I do think this is going to cause some issues with rescues, including ours."
Many rescues fear the vaccination requirement will hurt more than help. Dogs can't be vaccinated until they are 12 weeks old, meaning they'll sit longer in shelters, putting them at high risk for illnesses they may not come back from.
"Its very expensive to treat a very small puppy, and so those are the first ones that have to be euthanized," Krumholz said. "We're probably at 50-60% of our current dog intake would be impacted by this."
Krumholz said she believes if this rule passes, the Colorado Puppy Rescue would likely have to turn away hundreds of pets. If that happens, she is not sure if the organization, morally, can remain standing.
"It would be hard for me to agree that 20,000 animals dying is worth it for what is essentially peace of mind," she said. "To have to turn down so many animals in need, and that we know the alternative is that they’ll be euthanized, can we continue to do this morally? I think that’s for everyone, that’s not just for us."
PACFA told 9NEWS they are taking community feedback to figure out the best way to protect pets and people from life-threatening diseases. It will be months until they actually vote on these rule changes. If the rule change passes, it will likely take effect in fall 2025.