La Plata County, CO Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Section 10-20 covers both species. Anyone in unincorporated La Plata County who harbors or owns a cat four months of age or older must have it vaccinated against rabies by a veterinarian licensed by the State of Colorado. Two exceptions are printed. A Colorado veterinarian can issue a written waiver under C.R.S. § 25-4-607(2), and a cat that has bitten a person or another animal within the preceding ten day period must be reported to a veterinarian, with no vaccine given until a ten day observation period has passed. Vaccinations from a licensed veterinarian in another state are accepted for the cats of new county residents, provided they follow the schedule in the section.

The schedule is a booster one year after the initial vaccination, then revaccination every three years. New residents who harbor, own or acquire a cat three months of age or older must comply within thirty days of relocating to the county. Section 10-20(IV) makes rabies tags, certificates and waivers non-transferable, and using one for a different animal is unlawful.

The licensing and roaming rules in the same chapter are dog rules. Section 10-21 requires a license for the owner of a dog three months of age or older kept in unincorporated La Plata County for thirty or more days in a calendar year, and § 10-30(IV) makes it unlawful for the owner of a dog to let the animal run at large. Neither section mentions cats. The La Plata County Humane Society is the designated shelter and licensing agency under § 10-11. Under § 10-31, Chapter 10 is enforced within the unincorporated areas only, so Durango, Bayfield and Ignacio apply their own animal codes inside their limits. Animal control officers or peace officers enforce, and the District Attorney for the Sixth Judicial District prosecutes at his discretion.