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HB 25-1034

Changes to Dangerous Dog Statute

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Andy Boesenecker and 8 co-sponsors

HB 25-1034 removes the exemption for dog owners when a dangerous dog seriously injures certain animal-care workers, making owners criminally liable.

Governor Signed
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Bill Summary · HB 25-1034

Summary — HB 25-1034: Changes to Dangerous Dog Statute

Status: Governor signed (Mar 14, 2025). Effective date: August 6, 2025 (assuming no referendum). Introduced: Jan 8, 2025.

Purpose / Intent

HB 25-1034 narrows an existing exemption in Colorado’s dangerous dog statute so that dog owners can be held criminally responsible when their dog causes serious bodily injury to certain animal-care professionals while those professionals are performing their duties. The change is intended to extend statutory protections for workers (veterinary staff, groomers, humane agency personnel, professional handlers and trainers) against severe injuries caused by dogs.

Key provisions

  • Amends Colorado Revised Statutes § 18-9-204.5 (subsection (6)(b)) to remove the exemption that previously shielded dog owners from the statute when a dog inflicted serious bodily injury on listed animal-care professionals acting in the performance of their duties.
  • After the change, the statute’s exemption still applies to lesser “bodily injury” in those contexts, but not to “serious bodily injury.” (“Serious bodily injury” includes severe injuries and injuries that involve a substantial risk of death.)
  • The bill does not create new penalties; instead it creates a new factual basis for the existing offense of unlawful ownership of a dangerous dog that caused serious bodily injury. Under current statute as applied:
    • First offense: class 1 misdemeanor.
    • Second or subsequent offense: class 6 felony.
  • Statutory reference: amendment to 18-9-204.5 (6)(b).

Who is affected

  • Primary: owners of dogs that inflict serious bodily injury on veterinary health‑care workers, dog groomers, humane agency personnel, professional dog handlers, or trainers acting in the course of their duties.
  • Secondary: the injured professionals (greater legal protection), local prosecutors, courts, probation services, and county jails (potentially increased—but minimal—caseload).
  • No changes to civil liability or private actions; this is a criminal‑statute modification.

Fiscal and procedural impact

  • Fiscal notes (initial and final) find no appropriation required and project minimal ongoing impact on state and local revenue and expenditures. Any increase in criminal fines, court fees, prosecutions, probation, or incarceration is expected to be small given the narrow scope of the change and historically low conviction counts (62 convictions statewide for the comparable misdemeanor offense across FY2021-22 to FY2023-24; ~21/year).
  • Legislative actions: passed both chambers without substantive amendments; sent to governor Mar 7, 2025; signed Mar 14, 2025.
  • Effective Aug 6, 2025, unless a referendum petition delays/overrides implementation.

Sponsors

House: Reps. Karen McCormick and Lori Garcia Sander (with multiple cosponsors).
Senate: Sens. Lindsey Daugherty and Larry Liston.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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