Ensuring the humane treatment of all pets sold in Colorado is crucial for safeguarding their welfare and enhancing the integrity of pet ownership in our state. By strictly regulating puppy mills and enhancing transparency in pet sales, we can protect young animals from cruelty and provide families with healthy, ethically-sourced pets. To build a more compassionate Colorado that respects all forms of life, we should:

• Enforce Licensing and Standards: Advocate for legislation requiring all dog breeders to obtain licenses and adhere to strict animal welfare standards to ensure the health and well-being of animals in their care.

• Increase Inspections and Penalties: Push for more frequent inspections of breeding facilities and impose significant penalties for violations to deter unethical breeding practices and ensure compliance with animal welfare laws.

• Promote Transparent Sourcing: Support initiatives that require pet stores to disclose the sources of their animals, aiming to educate consumers and discourage the retail sale of animals from puppy mills.

• Encourage Adoption First: Champion policies that promote the adoption of pets from shelters and rescues, reducing the demand for commercially bred pets and supporting animal welfare.

Colorado's rich biodiversity and natural landscapes are not just assets but vital components of our ecological system that require active protection and thoughtful management. Preserving wildlife and their habitats ensures the survival of species integral to our environmental health and maintains the natural beauty that defines our state. To continue leading in conservation efforts and safeguard our natural heritage for generations to come, we must:"

• Strengthen Wildlife Corridors: Propose the expansion of wildlife corridors to facilitate safe migration and reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions, ensuring the preservation of biodiversity.

• Protect Endangered Species: Introduce legislation to provide additional protections for endangered and threatened species in Colorado, focusing on both recovery efforts and habitat conservation.

• Support Non-Lethal Wildlife Management: Advocate for the adoption of non-lethal wildlife management techniques that prioritize humane solutions to human-wildlife conflicts.

• Enhance Public Education: Fund and support educational programs that inform the public about the importance of wildlife conservation and the role individuals can play in protecting natural habitats.

Advancing science and medicine must not come at the cost of ethical standards. Colorado has the opportunity to lead by example in promoting humane treatment in research through legislation that prioritizes animal welfare and invests in alternative methods. By transforming how we conduct scientific research, we can achieve better outcomes for both humanity and the animals involved.

To establish these new standards, we must:

• Adoption Policies for Research Animals: Explore legislation requiring that all research facilities in Colorado implement policies to offer healthy animals for adoption rather than euthanasia after they are no longer needed for research.

• Transparency in Research Practices: Support laws that mandate detailed public reporting by research facilities on the number and species of animals used, the nature of the experiments, and their outcomes to ensure accountability and promote the development of alternative research methods.

• Promote Non-Animal Testing Methods: Encourage the use of and investment in scientifically validated non-animal testing methods that are more ethical, often more cost-effective, and provide results more directly applicable to humans.

• Regulatory Oversight Enhancement: Advocate for the strengthening of state oversight of animal research practices to ensure compliance with ethical standards and humane treatment guidelines.

Companion animals deserve a life of safety and comfort, not one of confinement and neglect. By establishing clear and humane tethering laws, we can ensure that all dogs in Colorado live in environments that respect their needs and promote their well-being. Implementing robust standards and enforcement can prevent cruelty and demonstrate our state's commitment to compassionate animal stewardship. To protect our pets effectively and uphold their rights to humane treatment, we should:

• Establish Clear Tethering Standards: Push for state legislation that specifies acceptable tethering durations, tether lengths, and conditions to ensure that dogs are not harmed or unduly restricted by tethering.

• Mandate Adequate Shelter and Care: Propose requirements for adequate shelter, water, and food for tethered dogs to protect them from extreme weather conditions and ensure their well-being.

• Enforcement and Penalties: Support the implementation of strong enforcement measures and penalties for violations of tethering laws to ensure that these regulations are taken seriously and that animal welfare is safeguarded.

• Public Education Campaigns: Fund and promote public education campaigns about the risks of improper tethering and the legal responsibilities of pet owners.

It's time for the beauty and personal care industries to evolve and eliminate cruelty in product testing. Colorado can help lead this transformation by banning cosmetic testing on animals, aligning our state with a growing global movement toward ethical and humane practices. By championing cruelty-free alternatives and supporting innovation in safety testing, we can protect animals while also enhancing consumer trust in the products they use every day. To move towards a cruelty-free marketplace, we should explore:

• Banning Animal-Tested Cosmetics: Advocate for a state law that prohibits the sale and manufacturing of cosmetics tested on animals, aligning Colorado with global standards for cruelty-free products.

• Supporting Alternative Testing Methods: Promote and fund research into non-animal based testing technologies, which are not only humane but also offer potentially more accurate and cost-effective safety assessments.

• Increasing Consumer Awareness: Launch campaigns to educate consumers on identifying and choosing cruelty-free products, enhancing market demand for non-animal tested cosmetics.

• Collaborating with the Industry: Work with cosmetic companies and industry stakeholders to facilitate a smooth transition to cruelty-free practices, ensuring compliance and innovation in product safety testing.

Colorado is home to a significant population of wild and domestic horses, each deserving of compassionate management and protection. Recent legislative efforts and public concern have highlighted the need for humane treatment and innovative management strategies for these noble animals. By promoting ethical practices and prioritizing the well-being of all horses, we can ensure that they continue to thrive in our state. To advance these goals, we must:

• Support Wild Horse Fertility Control Initiatives: Encourage the use of humane fertility control measures to manage wild horse populations sustainably, reducing the need for disruptive roundups.

• Enhance Sanctuary and Adoption Programs: Expand funding and support for sanctuaries and adoption programs that provide humane alternatives to slaughter and long-term captivity for wild horses.

• Oppose Inhumane Roundup Practices: Advocate for the discontinuation of helicopter roundups and support the use of less stressful methods such as bait and trap techniques, which are less likely to cause injury and stress to horses.

• Promote Public and Stakeholder Engagement: Support the creation of advisory groups that include a diverse range of stakeholders, including animal welfare experts, to ensure that horse management practices are transparent, humane, and scientifically sound.

Education is a cornerstone of sustainable animal welfare. By integrating animal welfare education into our schools and community programs, we can cultivate a culture of respect and kindness towards animals from a young age. These programs not only teach care and responsibility but also foster a connection between our communities and the animals that share our world.

To build an educated and engaged community, we should support:

• Implementing Animal Welfare Education in Schools: Support legislation to incorporate comprehensive animal welfare education into the curricula at different educational levels to foster empathy and informed stewardship among students.

• Community Workshops and Seminars: Organize workshops and seminars that provide training on proper animal care, wildlife conservation, and the ethical treatment of animals.

• Partnerships with Local Organizations: Collaborate with local animal shelters, wildlife conservation groups, and educational institutions to broaden the impact of animal welfare initiatives and ensure community-wide participation.

• Responsible Pet Ownership Practices: Launch campaigns that focus on responsible pet ownership, highlighting the responsibilities and joys of caring for a pet and the importance of adopting from shelters and rescues.