Denver Revised Municipal Code § 8-1 Purpose.
Sec. 8-1. - Purpose.
This chapter is enacted to protect, preserve and promote the health, safety and welfare of the citizens and animals of the City and County of Denver.
(Ord. No. 672-18, § 1, 7-16-18)
IN GENERAL
Denver Revised Municipal Code ch. 8, art. I
in effectDenver Revised Municipal Code § 8-2 Definitions.
Sec. 8-2. - Definitions.
For purposes of this chapter, the words, phrases and terms found in this section shall be defined as follows:
(1) Altered or sterilized shall mean a dog or cat that has been spayed or neutered.
(2) Animal protection officer shall mean an employee of the department of public health and environment authorized by the executive director to enforce provisions of this chapter.
(3) Animal shelter shall mean any business which collects stray, abandoned or owner-surrendered pet animals for redemption, adoption, sale or disposal.
(4) Approved animal adoption or humane organization shall mean any organization that meets all the criteria set out in subsection 8-153.5(g) and has agreed to participate in the Denver Animal Shelter animal adoption network.
(5) Attack shall mean violent or aggressive physical contact with a person or animal, or violent or aggressive behavior that confines the movement of a person, including, but not limited to, chasing, cornering, or encircling.
(6) Board shall mean the board of public health and environment of the City and County of Denver.
(7) Bodily injury means physical pain, illness, or any impairment of physical or mental condition.
(8) Business shall mean any profit or nonprofit individual, partnership, company, or corporation doing business within the corporate limits of the city.
(9) Denver Animal Shelter means the municipal animal shelter that is operated by Denver Animal Protection.
(10) Dwarf goats shall mean Nigerian Dwarf or African Pygmy breeds of goats.
(11) Executive director shall mean the executive director of the department of public health and environment or the executive director's designee.
(12) Keeper shall mean any person who exercises care, custody or control over an animal, but is not an owner. A keeper must be eighteen (18) years of age or older.
(13) Kennel shall mean any business which is involved with the boarding of pet animals.
(14) Leash shall mean a physical restraint held by, or attached from, a person to an animal.
(15) Owner shall mean any person who possesses, exercises control over, or who has a right in property over an animal. An owner must be eighteen (18) years of age or older. If a person under the age of eighteen (18) possesses, exercises control over, or has a property right in an animal, the minor's parent(s), guardian(s), or legal custodian(s) shall be deemed to be the owner(s) of such animal. If an animal has more than one (1) owner, all owners eighteen (18) years of age or older shall be jointly and severally liable under this chapter.
(16) Permit shall mean to allow or let happen and shall not include a state of mind requirement.
(17) Pet animal means fish, small domestic mammals, birds, reptiles, cats and dogs, not otherwise prohibited by this chapter.
(18) Pet grooming shop shall mean any business which is involved in the grooming of pet animals for profit.
(19) Pet hospital shall mean any business operating as a veterinary hospital or clinic which is involved in the diagnosis, treatment, or care of any pet animal.
(20) Pet shop shall mean any retail or wholesale business which is involved in the selling or trading of pet animals.
(21) Pit bull shall mean any dog that is an American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, or any dog displaying the majority of physical traits of any one (1) or more of the above breeds, or any dog exhibiting those distinguishing characteristics which substantially conform to the standards established by the American Kennel Club or United Kennel Club for any of the above breeds. The American Kennel Club and United Kennel Club standards for the above breeds are on file in the office of the clerk and recorder, ex officio clerk of the City and County of Denver, at City Clerk Filing No. 89457.
(22) Run at large shall mean any dog (1) not on the premises of the owner or keeper thereof and not controlled through use of a leash, cord or chain held by the dog's owner or keeper; or (2) on the premises of the owner or keeper, but confined in such a way as to allow the dog to have access to the public right-of-way.
(23) Secure enclosure means an enclosure which meets the following requirements:
(a) Is suitable to prevent the entry of children age ten (10) and under, and to prevent the animal from escaping;
(b) Has secure sides and a secure top or secure sides which are of sufficient height to prevent the animal from escaping over the sides;
(c) Has sides that are constructed at the bottom so as to prevent the animal's escape by digging under the sides;
(d) Provides appropriate protection from the elements for the animal; and
(e) Complies with the Denver Zoning Code.
(24) Secure temporary enclosure means an enclosure used for purposes of transporting a pit bull and which includes a top and bottom permanently attached to the sides except for a "door" for removal of the pit bull. Such enclosure must be of such material, and such door closed and secured in such a manner, that the pit bull cannot exit the enclosure on its own.
(25) Serious bodily injury means bodily injury which, either at the time of the actual injury or, at a later time, involves a substantial risk of death, a substantial risk of serious permanent disfigurement, a substantial risk of protracted loss or impairment of the function of any part or organ of the body, or breaks, or fractures.
(26) Shelter means an enclosure that is structurally sound and in good repair, provides convenient access to clean food and water, enables the animal to remain dry and clean, is constructed and maintained so that it is impervious to moisture and can be readily sanitized, is constructed so as to protect the animal from injury, and provides sufficient space to allow each animal to turn around fully, stand, sit and lie in a comfortable position.
(27) Vaccination shall mean the inoculation of a dog or cat with a vaccine licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture for use in the prevention of rabies, distemper, parvovirus, panleukopenia, Bordetella, and other diseases.
(Ord. No. 672-18, § 1, 7-16-18; Ord. No. 539-23, § 1, 6-5-23)
Denver Revised Municipal Code § 8-3 Complaint procedure.
Sec. 8-3. - Complaint procedure.
(a) Any police officer, animal protection officer or person charged by the executive director with enforcing the Code, acting in an official capacity, is hereby authorized to issue a summons and complaint, pursuant to the provisions of article II of chapter 14, for violation of this chapter or any provision of this Code pertaining to animals.
(b) Any animal protection officer, or person charged by the executive director with enforcing the Code, acting in an official capacity, is hereby authorized to issue an administrative citation pursuant to section 24-5, in accordance with the rules and regulations adopted by the board.
(Ord. No. 672-18, § 1, 7-16-18)
Denver Revised Municipal Code § 8-4 Enforcement.
Sec. 8-4. - Enforcement.
(a) Animal protection officers shall have the power and duty to enforce all provisions of this chapter or any other provision of this Code pertaining to animals.
(b) Animal protection officers are hereby designated as peace officers and shall be authorized to enforce the provisions of this chapter, or any other provision of this Code pertaining to animals, and to make all determinations within their discretion required by the provisions of this chapter or other applicable law.
(c) It shall be lawful for an animal protection officer to go upon private property to capture any animal to be impounded for, or to investigate any report of, a violation of this chapter if:
(1) The officer has obtained consent of the person in possession of the property;
(2) The officer has obtained a valid search warrant;
(3) The officer is in pursuit of an animal which the officer has probable cause to believe has bitten a person; or
(4) The officer is attempting to abate a continuing violation, involving a substantial risk to the health or safety of the public or of the animal, when the owner of the property is not available;
Nothing in subsections (3), or (4) of this section shall be deemed to authorize entry into any enclosed building on private property.
(d) Notwithstanding subsection (c)(2) of this section, if the animal protection officer has probable cause to believe that the keeping or maintaining of any animal is so hazardous, unsafe, or dangerous as to require immediate inspection to safeguard the animal or the public health or safety, the animal protection officer shall have the right immediately to enter and inspect the property or vehicle in or upon which the animal is kept, and may use any reasonable means required to effect such entry and make such inspection, whether the property or vehicle is occupied or unoccupied and whether permission to inspect has been obtained or not. If the property or vehicle is occupied, the animal protection officer shall first present proper credentials to the owner or occupant of the property or vehicle and demand entry, explaining his reasons therefor and the purpose of the inspection.
(Ord. No. 672-18, § 1, 7-16-18)
Denver Revised Municipal Code § 8-5 Animal-related nuisance.
Sec. 8-5. - Animal-related nuisance.
(a) No person shall keep or maintain or permit the keeping of, on any premises owned, occupied or controlled by such person, any animal otherwise permitted to be kept, which by frequent or habitual howling, meowing, squawking or other noise, unreasonably disturbs the peace and quiet of any neighborhood or causes discomfort or annoyance to any person. This section shall not apply to dogs (see section 8-18).
(b) The county court, in addition to any penalty imposed pursuant to section 1-13, may order the owner or keeper of the animal to abate the nuisance created under subsection (a) or sections 8-18, 8-73, 8-74, or 8-81 within five (5) days thereafter. Failure to abate the nuisance after the expiration of the five-day period shall be deemed a violation of this chapter of the Code.
(Ord. No. 672-18, § 1, 7-16-18; Ord. No. 539-23, § 2, 6-5-23)
Denver Revised Municipal Code § 8-6 Unlawful to give false information.
Sec. 8-6. - Unlawful to give false information.
It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to make, convey, or cause to be imparted or conveyed, false statements in applications, or to furnish, present, or exhibit any fictitious or false documentation pursuant to this chapter.
(Ord. No. 672-18, § 1, 7-16-18)
Denver Revised Municipal Code § 8-7 Interference with Denver animal protection employees.
Sec. 8-7. - Interference with Denver animal protection employees.
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to interfere with, molest, or hinder any employee of Denver Animal Protection in the discharge of his or her duties as provided in this chapter.
(b) It shall be unlawful for any person to fail to obey a lawful order of an animal protection officer if such failure interferes with or hinders such animal protection officer in the discharge of his or her official duties. For purposes of this subsection, the term "lawful order" shall be strictly construed and shall include only such orders that relate directly to matters of substantial importance in the discharge of the official duties of animal protection officers.
(Ord. No. 672-18, § 1, 7-16-18; Ord. No. 539-23, § 3, 6-5-23)
Denver Revised Municipal Code § 8-8 Limitation on keeping of animals.
Sec. 8-8. - Limitation on keeping of animals.
It shall be unlawful for any person to keep or house animals in violation of Denver Zoning Code, unless the zoning administrator has issued a zoning permit expressly allowing such use.
(Ord. No. 672-18, § 1, 7-16-18)
Denver Revised Municipal Code § 8-9 Fees.
Sec. 8-9. - Fees.
The executive director is hereby authorized to establish a reasonable amount to be assessed as the fees authorized by this chapter. The executive director may, in the executive director's discretion, waive any and all fees authorized under the provisions of this chapter, in whole or in part, where the payment of such fees is a demonstrated financial hardship, or the waiver is otherwise in the public interest. Every three (3) years, the executive director may adjust the fee structure based upon the change in the Consumer Price Index for the Denver-Boulder area.
(Ord. No. 672-18, § 1, 7-16-18; Ord. No. 539-23, § 4, 6-5-23)
Denver Revised Municipal Code § 8-10 Appeal to board of public health and environment.
Sec. 8-10. - Appeal to board of public health and environment.
Any person aggrieved by a notice or order issued by the department of public health and environment under this chapter, who believes the same to be factually or legally contrary to the ordinances of the city, or the policies and regulations of the department of public health and environment, may appeal the notice or order to the board of public health and environment within thirty (30) days of the issuance of the order or notice in the manner provided by rules of procedure of the board.
(Ord. No. 539-23, § 5, 6-5-23)
Source: City and County of Denver, Revised Municipal Code and Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/co/denver/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TITIIREMUCO_CH8AN_ARTIINGEFetched: 10/27/2026