Important Dates
- October 30, 2019 - New PACFA Rules and Fees are in effect
- November 11, 2019, Veterans Day - CDA Offices Closed
- November 14, 2019 - Advisory Committee Meeting
- November 28 & 29, 2019, Thanksgiving and the day after - CDA Offices closed
- December 2019 - PACFA License Renewal Opens
- December 24 & 25, 2019, Christmas Eve and Christmas - CDA offices closed
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Welcome to the first edition of the Pet Animal Care Facility Act (PACFA) Newsletter. PACFA is a regulatory program administered by the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA).
PACFA licenses and inspects over two thousand pet animal care facilities in the state and is dedicated to safeguarding pet animals in pet care facilities throughout Colorado and protecting consumers who purchase or adopt pets and who use pet related services.
PACFA licenses and regulates animal rescues, animal shelters, pet animal sanctuaries, pet animal breeders including dog, cat, bird, small mammal, reptile and amphibian breeders, retail and wholesale pet animal dealerships, pet transporters and handlers and pet animal groomers and grooming facilities.
This newsletter will allow us to share future program updates and news, educate licensed facilities on PACFA's rules and regulations and provide information on PACFA program resources. Newsletters will be be published quarterly.
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Statistics and Active Facilities List
We have recently posted the 2018 Annual and Individual Statistics, as well as an updated Active Facilities List. The Active Facilities List will now be updated as frequently as possible (except during renewal season from December thru May) to provide the public with a more accurate list. Both reports are presented in a Google Sheet format. We have provided guidelines and snapshots to assist you in viewing the new reports. You may find all these reports on our program web page, under the What's New? section by clicking on the links below.
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PACFA License Fee Changes
The Department of Agriculture understands that increasing license fees is not ideal. Key overhead expenses have increased steadily over time since the last major fee increases were seen in 2014 impacting the financial resources of the PACFA Program.
Fees are established through the rule-making process that includes stakeholder meetings, review and approval by the PACFA Advisory Committee, the Agricultural Commission and the Commissioner of Agriculture.
The new fees will go into effect on October 30, 2019, as well as for the 2020/2021 renewal
The following are the new PACFA license fees:
Aquarium Only: $450
Bird Breeder: $275
Cat Breeder: $400
Small Scale Dog Breeder (<99 transfers): $450
Large Scale Dog Breeder (>100 transfers): $550
Pet Animal Rescue (<100 transfers): $325
Pet Animal Rescue (>100 transfers): $425
Pet Animal Shelter (<3000 transfers): $450
Pet Animal Shelter (>3000 transfers): $600
Pet Animal Sanctuary: $450
Pet Boarding and/or Training: $500
Pet Handler: $225
Pet Transporter: $350
Reptile / Amphibian Breeder: $275
Retail / Wholesale: $600
Small Animal Breeder: $425
Commercial Pet Animal Facility: $450
Pet Grooming Facility (Facility Owner, Mobile Grooming and Self Wash Facility): $400
Independent Contractor Pet Groomer: $350
An updated version of the PACFA license application will be available on the PACFA webpage on October 30, 2019 to reflect the new license fees and categories. If you have any questions regarding new fees, please contact us.
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On August 21, 2019, the Department of Agriculture held a public rule making hearing to take public comment on the proposed rule changes for PACFA. Some of the highlights of the rule change include incorporating the provisions of Senate Bill SB-158, fee increases for all license categories, new definitions, a new license category for hunt club, sled dog and facilities that exhibit animals called a Commercial Pet Animal Facility. The rule was approved by the Agriculture Commission on September 17, 2019.
The new rule will go into effect on October 30, 2019.
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Senate Bill SB-158
PACFA Sunset Bill
Senate Bill SB-158 became effective on August 2, 2019 and implements some of the recommendations of the Department of Regulatory Agencies' (DORA) Sunset Review and Report on the Colorado "Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act" as follows:
- Adds a conviction of a local, state, or federal offense involving the theft, importation, capture, neglect, or abuse of an animal as grounds for discipline.
- Extends the Commissioner's authority to discipline a licensee or deny a license to an applicant for crimes involving animal cruelty to cases where a licensee or applicant has entered a plea of no contest.
- Extends the 2-year waiting period to anyone whose license has been revoked to apply for a new license to a principal, officer, director, manager, or any other person who has substantial control or authority over the daily operations of the entity, regardless of the reason for the revocation.
- Requires the state treasurer to credit all fines to the general fund.
- Removes the option of animal shelters or pet animal rescues to release dogs or cats to a prospective owner with a deposit and signed agreement to have the animal sterilized within 90 days after the date of release and prohibits the release prior to adoption unless the animal has been sterilized by a licensed veterinarian. The Commissioner may grant exemption's to shelters or rescues in areas with limited access to licensed veterinarians or public animal shelters that qualify for a waiver of fees.
- PACFA is extended until September 1, 2026, pursuant to provisions of the Sunset Law.
- $123,000 General Fund appropriation to implement the Act and hire an additional 1.6 FTE.
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How Do I File A Complaint with PACFA?
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We appreciate any and all information provided to our program to help us ensure that pet animal care facilities maintain or exceed a minimum standard of care in Colorado.
Please submit complaints through our online form only. Once a complaint is submitted, it is considered an open investigation, and information regarding the investigation cannot be provided until the case is closed.
All complaints submitted are reviewed, however, c
omplaints submitted from reporting parties that have not actually witnessed an issue with the facility themselves, will be considered inapplicable and we will not be able to investigate.
Filing an official complaint from viewing a social media post or via second hand information or word of mouth may be subject to prosecution for false reporting.
Anonymous complaints are accepted, however any personal information provided may be subject to the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA).
PACFA
does not
regulate animal neglect and/or cruelty, noise disturbances, dogs at large, property line issues and impound matters. If you witnessed conditions that you believe represent an immediate threat or danger to any animal, please call your local law enforcement agency immediately so that they can address the situation promptly.
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This section will provide you with instructions and tips from PACFA inspectors on how to maintain your facility and ensure compliance with rules and regulations. Click on the links below to view each document.
**ALL FACILITIES PLEASE READ**
Are you ready to renew?
All PACFA licenses expire March 1, 2020.
Renewals will open in early December 2019. We will send out announcements soon to remind you. There is a lot that goes into renewing your PACFA license. This document will help you get prepared to process your renewal successfully. Any renewal questions, please contact your inspector.
Proper Cleaning and Sanitizing
:
Did you know there are specific rules and regulations for cleaning and sanitizing practices for your PACFA licensed facility? This document provides you with tips and information on what inspectors looks for and how to clean your facility properly according to the PACFA rules.
Any questions regarding your facility inspections or any of the PACFA rules, please contact your inspector.
If you would like to learn more about a specific PACFA rule or a certain topic that we could highlight in a future newsletter please click the contact us button below.
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Please share this newsletter to anyone who may be interested. Our goal is to educate everyone about PACFA. Help support our efforts in
safeguarding pet animals in pet care facilities throughout Colorado and protect consumers who purchase or adopt pets and who use pet related services.
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