This November, there are 83 legislative seats up for election in Colorado's legislature. Coloradans will vote to elect their entire State House and half of their State Senate—where decisions are made daily that affect the welfare of animals. Your decisions at the ballot box determine the future of our fight to protect animals in the state.
We are pleased to share our first Colorado Humane Scorecard. Here, we take a close look at votes from the 2024 legislative session that spotlight which legislators took pro-animal stances, and which failed to do so. Together, we strive to make our voices louder than the special interests that would harm animals for profit—and a powerful way to do so is to hold your legislators accountable for their actions. In the coming months, be sure to let your elected officials know how important animal protection is to you.
The following actions are scored in the 2024 Colorado Humane Scorecard:
- Emergency Planning for Animals: A ✓ indicates a vote in favor of HB24-1033, which encourages local governments to develop and maintain emergency management plans that support people with companion animals. This includes creating emergency shelters that are pet-friendly and incorporating animals into evacuation plans. According to a 2023 survey of Colorado pet owners from the ASPCA, 56% of responders said that they would only evacuate if they could bring their pets with them. Having support from local governments will help ensure families—including beloved companion animals—will stay together during emergencies. The bill passed both chambers and was signed by the Governor on April 11th, 2024.
- Creation of the Division of Animal Welfare: A ✓ indicates a vote in favor of HB24-1458, which creates a division to promote domestic animal welfare within Colorado's Department of Agriculture. This new division was created to oversee the Bureau of Animal Protection, which investigates animal cruelty, and the Pet Animal Care Facilities Act, which regulates and oversees animal shelters and other pet animal facilities. Equine welfare is another major goal of the new division, with funds set aside for grants for education and emergency care. The bill passed both chambers and was signed by the Governor on May 30th, 2024.
- Wolverine Restoration: A ✓ indicates a vote in favor of SB24-171, which reintroduces wolverines—an iconic North American species—to Colorado. Wolverines were once an established species in Colorado, but in 1919, the population was wiped out by trappers. In November of 2023, wolverines were federally listed as a threatened species, and Colorado will now be the first state to take action by reintroducing 30 female and 15 male wolverines to their natural Colorado habitat. Reintroduction will not occur until final approval from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The bill passed both chambers and was signed by the Governor on May 20th, 2024.
These three victories span multiple areas of animal protection—from companion animals to equines to wildlife, to everyday protections to emergency preparation. It was a strong session for animals, with more than a dozen animal-related bills introduced. The three bills we chose to score have been supported by HSLF, received full House and Senate floor votes, and secured both straightforward and powerful protections for Colorado’s animals. We thank the legislators who stepped up to the plate to show their support, as well as the bipartisan coalitions that made these new laws possible.
HSLF acknowledges the limitations of judging legislators based on a few votes on animal issues, however important those issues may be. In some cases, legislators must miss votes for unavoidable reasons, such as a death in the family, serious illness, birth of a child or emergency in their district. Additionally, some bills may have good intentions but include problematic language or have unintended legal consequences. There are many potential reasons a legislator votes a certain way–all the more reason to engage with your elected officials directly and ask them their positions on various issues. In assessing the record of your representatives, and your strategy for engaging them in the future, do consider unrecorded matters such as committee participation and performance, House or Senate leadership posts, constituent engagement and responsiveness, and the other animal protection bills not included in this scorecard.
As with all the work we do, our humane scorecards are made possible only by the continued advocacy and support of members like you. By holding our lawmakers accountable, at the ballot box and year-round, we can build on our victories—and make greater progress in 2025 for the animals.
The full 2024 Colorado Humane Scorecard can be found online at hslf.org/state-scorecards. Please share this scorecard with family, friends, and fellow advocates to help spread the word! Remember—animals only win when humane candidates do.
