'ALERT: Colorado Pet Tax for ALL Animals'. Found on my Nextdoor page.

[Hotler]

This seems to be flying under the radar. A Democrat is sponsoring this. Why? Links to the bill and the sponsor are at the end of the article. Spread the word.
Colorado House Bill 24-1163 enters a new level of big government and big taxes. The bill will add a new tax of up to $8.50 (but actually up to $25) on EACH pet and it includes ALL animals, even invertebrates. The tax is paid every year. It also requires every pet to be registered with the State and assigned a “designated caregiver.” If you do not name a “designated caregiver,” the cost for each pet is $25 annually. There is no cap or per household type of maximum taxation. This will also be in addition to any local taxes (like dog licenses).
https://usark.org/24co/

[bucolic_frolic]

1. Don't buy guppies /nt

[CurtEastPoint]

2. As someone who works with community cats, I have no problem with this. Many people are irresponsible. Animals suffer

[LakeArenal]

5. My question is enforcement.

Are we going to be expected to turn in neighbors about unpaid pet taxes?

Laws like this are only obeyed by responsible people.

[riversedge]

3. "if someone has 100 aquarium fish or koi in a water garden, they could be paying $850 annually to have those fish.".....

OMG! A tax for fish in the fish tank!!


............To summarize how outrageous that is, if someone has 100 aquarium fish or koi in a water garden, they could be paying $850 annually to have those fish. If you do not register a “designated caregiver” with the State that means having 100 aquarium fish will cost you $2,500 annually! Ten pet reptiles will cost $85 to $250 annually. 20 assorted pets (dog, cat, hamster, parakeet, tarantula, 2 snakes, three frogs, and 10 fish) would be $170 to $500 each year for this new tax. This tax would apply to all “pet animals.” A child with an ant farm (ants are invertebrates)… get ready to pay big for those pet ants, parents!

The new “online pet animal registration system” will be created and maintained by the Department of Agriculture. The penalty for not registering your animals is up to $100 per animal (“per unlawful act or violation”). If a good citizen is unaware of this new law, those 100 unregistered aquarium or water garden fish could cost $10,000 in fines!

Per the bill, “pet animal” means: A DOG, CAT, RABBIT, GUINEA PIG, HAMSTER, MOUSE, RAT, GERBIL, FERRET, BIRD, FISH, REPTILE, AMPHIBIAN, INVERTEBRATE, OR ANY OTHER SPECIES OF WILD OR DOMESTIC OR HYBRID ANIMAL SIX MONTHS OF AGE OR OLDER, THAT IS SOLD, TRANSFERRED, OR RETAINED FOR THE PURPOSE OF BEING KEPT AS A HOUSEHOLD PET.

[jimfields33]

4. This is great.

Will allow registration for all animals and know how many each home has. They can deal with those who have too many before it becomes a problem.

[Torchlight]

15. lol!

[50 Shades Of Blue]

6. How would that handle ferals you care for but aren't pets?

[woodsprite]

7. They'll probably fine you for feeding homeless pets

Like some cities fine you for feeding homeless people.

[oregonjen]

8. Of course in the link provided there's no mention of where the money would go

A link to the bill states where the collected money will go.
https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2024A/bills/2024a_1163_01.pdf


“The state’s fee will be used to develop, implement, maintain and administer the system and reimburse animal shelters for the cost of taking custody of a pet animal for which a caregiver cannot be located or has refused to take custody.”

[50 Shades Of Blue]

9. Everybody not just pet owners should be taxed for that, imo.

[Bristlecone]

10. Here's the bill. I suggest you read it

https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2024A/bills/2024a_1163_01.pdf

It introduces an online pet registration system. Seems pretty convenient to me. Think renewing your vehicle’s tags online through the MVD. Also a “big government tax”

It also asks that your designate a caregiver to emergency responders so if something happens to you, the pet won’t end up in the pound. Sounds like a thoughtful, good idea to me.

Look up this bill with a google search and see if there is a single, non-right wing hack website that follows this big government tax narrative.


Nextdoor is a cess pool.

[colorado_ufo]

11. Animals have relatively short lives and die regularly.

How in the world would you keep track of viable versus deceased animals? The record keeping on this would be absolutely astronomical. You could register a puppy and 5 days later that puppy dies. This would be nothing but a nightmare and uncollectible. A fish or snail could die the same day it was purchased. This is insanity.

[colorado_ufo]

12. What would happen if my cat had kittens?

Are the animal inspectors going to come around to every house and look in every closet? If this was to pass, I can even foresee people euthanizing their pets because they can't pay the taxes and thousands of shelter animals going unadopted.

[Fla Dem]

13. How are they going to inforce? Pet Police?

Are they going to require veterinarians to report all their pet patients to the state? How will the state know if I have 6 cats in my house (I don't)?

Agree 100% with the comment in the sample letter. This will result in more abandon pets because the owners cannot or will not pay the ridiculous tax. Why should I pay a tax on my one cat who lived indoors and never went out. What burden was she placing on the state government? Ridiculous.

While the intent may be noble, this bill misses the mark by a mile. This does not solve any problems other than taxing responsible pet owners. The irresponsible owners who abandon pets will continue to be there and not paying this tax while the responsible owners will be the only ones paying the tax. It is collective punishment and bad government policy.

https://usark.org/24co/

[JoseBalow]

14. My emotional support goldfish are Service Animals, not pets

[Nululu]

16. Idiotic

[dickthegrouch]

17. Pure stupidity, and from a Dem?

Needs to be fired pronto.

[CloudWatcher]

18. Eat your pets

(9) "LIVESTOCK" MEANS A COW, HORSE, MULE, BURRO, SHEEP, POULTRY, SWINE, LLAMA, OR GOAT, REGARDLESS OF USE, ANY ANIMAL THAT IS USED FOR WORKING PURPOSES ON A FARM OR RANCH, AND ANY OTHER ANIMAL DESIGNATED BY THE COMMISSIONER, WHICH ANIMAL IS RAISED FOR FOOD OR FIBER PRODUCTION.
...
(11) "PET ANIMAL" MEANS A DOG, CAT, RABBIT, GUINEA PIG, HAMSTER, MOUSE, RAT, GERBIL, FERRET, BIRD, FISH, REPTILE, AMPHIBIAN, INVERTEBRATE, OR ANY OTHER SPECIES OF WILD OR DOMESTIC OR HYBRID ANIMAL SIX MONTHS OF AGE OR OLDER, THAT IS SOLD, TRANSFERRED, OR RETAINED FOR THE PURPOSE OF BEING KEPT AS A HOUSEHOLD PET. "PET ANIMAL" DOES NOT INCLUDE LIVESTOCK, AS DEFINED IN SUBSECTION (9) OF THIS SECTION.

Badly worded, poorly thought out. Zero chance of passing. Fees are specified for cats & dogs, but not the others. So what's the fee for my pet spider? Wait and see what the "enterprise" specifies I guess

No mention of support or guide dogs. Are they household pets or working animals? If not on a ranch or farm, so I guess not a working animal, but not exactly a "household pet" either!

If it does pass, just claim you're going to eat (or shear) them and they magically convert to livestock. I think I'll start harvesting the fur my pets are shedding... just in case.

Now if they wanted to pass laws funding free neuter and spaying of cats & dogs it'd likely pass..