DENVER (August 19, 2024)—Today, the Humane Society Legislative Fund released its 2024 Colorado Humane Scorecard, which grades Colorado state legislators on their efforts to promote animal welfare during the 2024 session.
“This was a big year of wins for animal-related bills,” said Aubyn Royall, Colorado state director of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. “We thank the legislators who have taken leadership roles in the animal and environmental space and hope to continue this positive work for animals into the 2025 session. With an election coming up, it is important that constituents know where their elected officials stand on the issues Coloradans care about—and animal protection is a critical issue here in our state.”
The following bills supported by HSLF and scored on the 2024 Colorado Humane Scorecard were signed into law:
- Emergency Planning: 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.
- 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.
- 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.
As the nation’s leading political advocacy organization for animal protection, HSLF has published a Congressional Humane Scorecard since 2006 to track the relevant votes, co-sponsorships, and other actions of federal lawmakers. This resource effectively records which members of Congress are animal champions and which fail to denounce cruelty. Now, the Humane Society Legislative Fund is increasing its release of state-level scorecards, to build on the progress made in animal protection at the state level and hold members of state legislatures accountable to animal advocates.
Voters in Colorado are encouraged to use this scorecard to make humane choices in 2024 at the ballot box and in future elections.
Media Contact:
Emily Ehrhorn | eehrhorn@hslf.org
