CO SB164

Establishes the "Colorado Socially Conscious Sheltering Act" requiring animal shelters and pet animal rescues to provide timely veterinary care to address and prevent unnecessary pain and suffering for dogs and cats in their custody.

Mandates shelters and rescues address behavioral needs of dogs and cats to ensure they are not housed in ways that foster obsessive-compulsive or self-mutilating behavior.

Requires shelters and rescues to adopt out, return to owner, or transfer to another facility any dog or cat that: exhibits no signs of illness or injury (or has a realistic prognosis for good quality of life if injured); demonstrates willingness to interact socially with humans; and has not exhibited behavior likely to cause bodily injury or death.

Establishes a legislative policy that no healthy, safe, and social dog or cat should be euthanized solely based on length of stay or lack of space, and encourages use of Colorado's intrastate transfer program.

Takes effect August 5, 2020, unless subject to a referendum petition, in which case it requires voter approval at the November 2020 general election.