Colorado Code
Article 80 - Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act
§ 35-80-102. Definitions

As used in this article 80, unless the context otherwise requires:
(1.5) "Bird hobby breeder facility" means any facility engaged in the operation of breeding and raising birds for the purpose of personal enjoyment that does not transfer more than thirty birds per year.

(6.3) "Dispose" or "disposition" means adoption of a pet animal, return of a pet animal to the owner, release of a pet animal to a rescue group licensed pursuant to this article, release of a pet animal to another pet animal facility licensed pursuant to this article or to a rehabilitator licensed by the division of parks and wildlife or the United States fish and wildlife service, or euthanasia.
(6.5) "Dog breeder" means any person that engages in the operation of breeding and raising dogs for the purpose of selling, trading, bartering, giving away, or otherwise transferring the dogs, excluding racing greyhounds that are not intended to be companion pets.
(6.6) "Dog breeder, large scale operation" or "large scale operation dog breeder" means a dog breeder that transfers at least one hundred dogs per year, excluding racing greyhounds that are not intended to be companion pets.
(6.7) "Dog breeder, small scale operation" or "small scale operation dog breeder" means a dog breeder that transfers more than the number of dogs permitted for a canine hobby breeder facility but no more than ninety-nine dogs per year.

(8.7) "Licensed veterinarian" means a person who is licensed to practice veterinary medicine in this state pursuant to article 315 of title 12.

(11.2) "Pet animal rescue" means any person licensed pursuant to this article who accepts pet animals for the purpose of finding permanent adoptive homes for animals and does not maintain a central facility for keeping animals, but rather uses a system of fostering in private homes or boarding or keeping pets in licensed pet animal facilities.
(11.3) "Pet store" means a retail establishment where pet animals are sold or offered for sale to the general public. "Pet store" does not include an animal shelter, pet animal rescue, cat breeder, or dog breeder.
(11.4) "Prospective owner" means a person who has no prior rights of ownership to the pet animal to be adopted.
(11.6) "Release" means adoption, sale, or other transfer to the permanent custody of an owner by an animal shelter or pet animal rescue.
(11.7) "Sale" or "sell" means the exchange of a pet animal for anything of value, including property or money. "Sale" or "sell" does not include an adoption transaction between an animal shelter or pet animal rescue and a person who adopts a pet animal.
(11.8) "Small animal breeder facility" means any facility that transfers more small mammals than the maximum number established by the commissioner by rule for each particular species.

Source: L. 94: Entire article added, p. 1300, § 8, effective July 1. L. 98: (11) and (12) amended and (11.8) added, p. 119, § 1, effective March 24. L. 99: (1) amended and (1.5) and (6.3) added, p. 356, § 1, effective August 4. L. 2000: (2.5) and (13) amended and (6.6) and (6.7) added, p. 1398, § 4, effective May 30. L. 2001: (8) amended, p. 1262, § 1, effective June 5. L. 2008: (8.7), (11.2), (11.4), (11.6), and (14) added, p. 199, § 1, effective January 1, 2009. L. 2009: (10) amended, (SB 09-118), ch. 327, p.1743, § 14, effective July 1. L. 2014: (6.5) and (6.7) amended, (HB 14-1270), ch. 365, p. 1745, § 3, effective July 1. L. 2019: IP and (8.7) amended, (HB 19-1172), ch. 136, p. 1721, § 226, effective October 1. L. 2021: (9.3), (11.3), and (11.7) added, (HB 21-1102), ch. 82, p. 311, § 1, effective September 7.
Editor's note: Section 3(2) of chapter 82 (HB 21-1102), Session Laws of Colorado 2021, provides that the act changing this section applies to conduct occurring on or after September 7, 2021.