A new Colorado law will require health-related research facilities that use dogs and cats as test subjects to try adopting out the animals before euthanizing them.
Health-Related Research Test Subjects, or Senate Bill 85, was signed into law by Gov. Jared Polis on Tuesday.
“From now on, dogs and cats that are subjects to scientific research in Colorado will be valued for their service and given the opportunity to find a forever home,” Polis said in a statement.
The law requires facilities “to offer a dog or cat to an animal shelter or a pet animal rescue for the purpose of adoption before euthanizing the animal,” or to find them homes through an internal adoption program.
Research facilities will also be required to report how many dogs and cats they send to animal shelters or adopt out through internal programs every year.
Researchers can still euthanize dogs and cats for research, health or safety reasons, according to the bill.
Bill sponsor Sen. John Carson, R-Highlands Ranch, said the law is common sense and a great way to encourage pet adoption in general. Five of the last six pets in Carson’s family have been adopted, he added.
Another of the bill’s sponsors, Rep. Manny Rutinel, D-Commerce City, said the law reflects Colorado’s commitment to compassion.
“This law will ensure that animals used in health-related research are given the dignity of a second chance,” Rutinel said in a statement.
Humane World for Animals, previously called The Humane Society of the United States, was one of the main advocates for the bill, state director Aubyn Royall said.
The group also supported a different version of the bill introduced last year, which did not make it to the governor’s desk. Last year’s bill also required state-level reporting on mice and rats used for research, which seemed to be “a step too far” for some legislators and stakeholders, Royall said.
“Just covering two species made it a little more straightforward,” Royall said. “While we recognize some of these animals would not be good for a home… some of them would make great pets and deserve that second chance.”
Health-related research facilities report how many animals are used as test subjects to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
In 2023, the most recent report available, facilities that used dogs and/or cats for research included Colorado State University and Fort Collins research facilities Inotiv and High Quality Research.
Royall said she’s seeing a shift in public perception of animal test subjects and more organizations seeking out non-animal testing methods for medical devices and medications.
“We’re excited to embrace that,” she said
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