Denver pet owners are largely unaware — or choose to ignore — the city’s longstanding requirement that they purchase an annual license for their companions, with a minority of dog and cat parents complying with city ordinance.
Dogs and cats must be licensed once they’re at least six months old and within 30 days of residing in Denver, according to the city regulations. Because it’s a requirement, pet owners in violation can receive warnings and even fines, although that’s rare.
More than 9,500 pet owners had obtained licenses in 2023 as of September, the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment said.
That’s a slim proportion of the city’s four-legged population, which Denver Parks and Recreation estimates at more than 150,000 for dogs alone. That puts Denver below the typical compliance rate for pet licensing nationally, which Lt. Josh Rolfe with Denver Animal Protection says is around 15-20% of animals in counties or cities that require licenses.
In neighboring Aurora, compliance is also low — estimated at about 9%, city spokesman Michael Brannen said.
Amy Keyes, 41, moved to Denver this year from Buffalo, N.Y., where she previously licensed her dog. Still, she had “no idea” about her new home’s license requirement for Rey, her three-year-old Australian Shepherd-Husky mix, she said recently while visiting Zeckenbark Dog Park at 601 Lincoln St.
She said the city could better get the word out by partnering with apartment buildings to mandate the licenses, but “I honestly don’t understand what the need for it is,” Keyes said. “I don’t think it’s necessary.”
But for Denverite Justin Pera, the license requirement ensures that his one-year-old Golden Retriever, Zelda, is safe to play with other pets that are also neutered and vaccinated.
“I want all the dogs licensed in the city,” he said.
Once Zelda reached the age when she could be spayed, Pera registered her with the city, paying for a three-year license. “It’s really easy,” he added.
A one-year license costs $15, while a three-year license is $40. A license that spans the lifetime of the pet, with no expiration date, costs $150. Residents ages 65 and older can obtain a three-year license for free, as can service animal owners.
“Most major cities and urban environments require pets to be licensed,” Rolfe said. “It helps get a sense of how many animals are out in the community, and — to be completely honest — it’s also a revenue generator for the city.”
Last year, more than $362,000 in revenue went into Denver’s general fund, which primarily operates Denver Animal Protection, DDPHE spokesperson Tammy Vigil said.
The pet license ordinance has been on the books since at least 1995, though it may predate that year, she said.
The license benefits pet owners by helping them reunite with lost animals more quickly than happens with standard pet microchips, Rolfe said. Their tags include a QR code that links to a pet profile with the owner’s contact information, which he called “a value-add to the pet owner.”
How to get a pet license
To obtain the required license, the pet must be vaccinated against rabies and spayed or neutered.
Denver pet owners can buy their licenses at the Denver Animal Shelter, 1241 Bayaud Ave., or online at PetData.com.
Notably, pit bull owners cannot license their pets online. They must visit the city’s shelter to get both their license and a breed-restricted permit.
Pet owners without licenses will typically receive warnings before it progresses to citations, Rolfe said. Within a 12-month period, the first violation is $75 and the second jumps to $100, with every subsequent violation fined at $200.
However, if the owner purchases a license within 15 days of receiving a citation, then the fine is waived fully.
Rolfe is trying to spread public awareness and clear up any misconceptions. For instance: “It’s a very common thing that people think that the rabies tag they get from their vet is the same as the city license,” Rolfe said.
Denver’s resources to properly crack down on compliance are limited. Operating under the health department, the Denver Animal Shelter has 16 animal protection officers and two sergeants, but it doesn’t employ a full-time team member dedicated to licensing compliance, Rolfe said.
Officers usually talk to owners about license compliance when they go out on calls for issues such as animal attacks, bites, and cruelty or neglect investigations, but they aren’t set up to take payments and sell licenses at front doors.
“Really, what we’re looking for is for people to get their animals licensed — not trying to hit them in the pocketbook over it,” Rolfe said.
