Colorado criminalizes animal hoarding under the cruelty statute when conditions cause suffering. The law applies uniformly statewide regardless of municipal animal limits.
C.R.S. 18-9-202 criminalizes animal cruelty including neglect from hoarding when animals are kept in conditions causing illness, malnutrition, or death. First offenses are class 1 misdemeanors; subsequent offenses or aggravated cruelty rise to class 6 felonies. Courts may order forfeiture, mental health evaluation, and bans on future ownership. Local pet limit ordinances supplement but do not preempt state cruelty law. Bureau of Animal Protection officers enforce statewide.
Class 1 misdemeanor: up to 364 days jail and $1,000 fine. Felony cruelty: up to 18 months prison and $100,000 fine plus animal forfeiture.
See how Thornton's animal hoarding rules stack up against other locations.
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