Denver, CO Animal Ordinances: Pet Store Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Dog/cat/rabbit retail sale
- Banned in pet shops
- Adoption-org exception
- Allowed on-site with signage
- Max fine
- $999 per offense
- Max jail
- 300 days
- Enforcing agency
- Dept. of Excise and Licenses
Summary
Denver pet shops cannot sell, deliver, barter, or otherwise dispose of a dog, cat, or rabbit. Retail sales are banned outright: stores may only host approved animal adoption or humane organizations to place animals on-site.
(a)It shall be unlawful for a pet shop to sell, deliver, offer for sale, barter, auction, give away, broker, or otherwise transfer or dispose of a dog, cat, or rabbit.(b)It shall not be a violation of subsection (a) for a pet shop to allow an approved animal adoption or humane organization to display, sell, deliver, offer for sale, barter, auction, give away, broker, or otherwise transfer or dispose of a dog, cat, or rabbit on the premises of a pet shop.(c)A pet shop that allows an approved animal adoption or humane organization to display, sell, deliver, offer for sale, barter, auction, give away, broker, or otherwise transfer or dispose of a dog, cat, or rabbit on the premises shall post, in a conspicuous location, a sign listing the name of the approved animal adoption or humane organization that is operating on the premises. (Ord. No. 1241-25, § 1, 9-15-25)
Secs. 8-105—8-110. - Reserved.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 147 Update 3).
Full Breakdown
Denver Revised Municipal Code § 8-104 makes it unlawful for a pet shop to sell, deliver, offer for sale, barter, auction, give away, broker, or otherwise transfer or dispose of a dog, cat, or rabbit. The sole carve-out lets a pet shop host an approved animal adoption or humane organization to display and place those animals on its premises, and the shop must post a sign naming that organization in a conspicuous location. This closes the traditional puppy-mill retail pipeline while preserving in-store adoption events. Pet shops must also be licensed under Chapter 8, Article IV.
Violations & Fines
Violating § 8-104 is a general Code offense: up to a $999 fine, up to 300 days in jail, or both, under § 1-13, plus possible license action by Excise and Licenses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Denver pet store sell puppies?
Can a pet store host adoptions instead?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Denver
Compare Denver to another location·View the Colorado animal ordinances overview
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