House Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources

Monday, March 9, 2026·▶ Watch / Listen

The committee voted 9-4 along party lines to reauthorize the Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act, sending HB26-1183 to Appropriations after an emotional, hours-long hearing that pitted animal-welfare groups against small grooming businesses who say the program's new rules have criminalized their trade. Four Republicans — Lori Garcia Sander, Dusty Johnson, Larry Don Suckla and Ty Winter — voted no.

Key Actions

·Sunset Pet Animal Care & Facilities ActPassed

Notable Quotes

“If PAFA had readily available public information about warnings, violations and disciplinary actions, I would have looked the sitter up. My decision would have been different.”
Julie Shea (consumer, owner of Lumi) · witness — Shea's Pomeranian was killed while boarded with an unlicensed sitter; her testimony anchored the case for a searchable public database of enforcement actions.

+ 5 more quotes

Votes

Referred to Committee on AppropriationsAction

Yes (9)Matthew Martinez, Lesley Smith, Katie Stewart, Tammy Story, Tisha Mauro, Lori Goldstein, Mandy Lindsay, Karen McCormick, Meghan Lukens

No (4)Lori Garcia Sander, Dusty Johnson, Larry Don Suckla, Ty Winter

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TranscriptPreview

Okay. The House Agriculture, Water and Natural Resources Committee will come to order. Ms. Kelly, please call the roll. Representatives Garcia, Sander. Present. Goldstein. Excused. Oh, I didn't. Representative Goldstein. Here. Thank you. Johnson. Present. Lindsay. Here. Lukens. Here. Martinez. Excused. Smith. Here. Stewart. Here. Story. Here. Sukla. Here. Winter. Excused. McCormick. Here. Madam Chair. Here. Okay. We will be hearing bill number 2611 83. We have our bill sponsors present and ready to go. Who would like to go first? Representative McCormick. Thank you, madam Chair. This is the bill that we heard presented by Copper through Dora a few weeks ago. That is the sunset for the Pet Animal Care and Facilities act. And we are bringing it forward to reauthorize this act. And just as a little background, the Pet Animal Care Facilities act does serve a very critically important function in our state. And it's also a model for the rest of the nation that we have this, this act. As you all know, Colorado is a very pet friendly state. About 65% of the households in the state have pets, from fish to reptiles, birds, small mammals, dogs and cats, and probably lots of other…

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