Media & Stories Archive

At Dumb Friends League, we love to see dogs succeed, so it is not surprise that we were thrilled about the nation’s first rescue dog moving into the White House! We knew this news would be very popular with some of our current residents, so we interviewed them to hear their thoughts on First Shelter…

On November 3, Denver voters overwhelmingly voted to overturn the pit bull ban and replace it with a pit bull licensing system. Amendment 2J passed with 65 percent of the vote, verifying what the Dumb Friend’s League has known for a long time – Denver loves dogs, regardless of breed! The ban on pit bulls…

End Denver’s Ban on Pit Bulls and Replace with Provisional Permitting Breed specific bans do not work: they do not make Denver safer, nor do they encourage responsible dog ownership. 30 years ago, Denver implemented a ban on all dogs that looked like pit bulls. This ban has cost the City of Denver $5.8 million…

Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse introduced a bill this month that would increase the regulation of animal cruelty cases across the country. The Animal Cruelty Enforcement (ACE) Act will establish a division in the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) that would investigate, enforce and prosecute felony animal cruelty crimes.  The bill will create a dedicated team…

Denver residents have a new ballot measure that they will be voting on come election day. On Monday, August 17, Denver City Council voted unanimously to send a replacement of the pit bull ban to Denver voters on November 3. The latest version would repeal the current ban and replace it with a “pit bull…

Independence Day wasn’t the only holiday we celebrated in the first week of July this year. Governor Jared Polis declared July 1st as Colorado Pet Overpopulation Fund Day! The Colorado Pet Overpopulation Fund, also known as CPOF, was created in 2001 and has since generated $2.7 million dollars to address pet overpopulation in Colorado. The…

In the final week of the 2020 session, Colorado legislators passed two bills that will make a big difference in the lives of pets across the state. First, the legislature nearly unanimously passed Senate Bill 20-208, a bill that will permanently extend several income tax check-offs, including the Colorado Pet Overpopulation check-off, as long as…

Compassion always. Those words are more than just the Dumb Friends League’s tagline. Maintaining one’s integrity while enhancing others’ dignity is the culture we strive to achieve. We believe there is no place in a humane community for oppression, prejudice, violence, or intimidation for any reason, including a person’s skin color. George Floyd’s senseless death…

After receiving more than 100,000 comments, the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) finalized changes to the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) on May 13.

At the Dumb Friends League and Colorado Humane Society, animal protection is one of our top priorities, so we were encouraged when Governor Polis declared the week of May 1 through May 7 as “Colorado Animal Protection Week.” We dedicate every week to animal protection, and Colorado has some of the best animal protection laws…

Social media can be a powerful channel for advancing legislation, helping advocates to reach target audiences with strategic messaging and visuals. The Socially Conscious Sheltering (SCS) Social Media Toolkit is intended to do just that–help disseminate and highlight information about the SCS bill.

After successfully passing out of Denver’s City Council with a vote of 7-4, the recent attempt by City Councilman Herndon to modify the Denver pit bull ban was vetoed by Mayor Michael Hancock.

Exciting news in Denver! Dr. Apryl Steele, president and CEO of the Dumb Friends League, has been working with Councilman Chris Herndon to remove the current pit bull breed ban in Denver and replace it with a “pit bull probation.”

A celebration on Monday kicked off the official campaign to pass a puppy mill ban in Colorado. Rep. Monica Duran and Sen. Mike Foote, in collaboration with First Gentleman Marlon Reis and the Humane Society of the United States are running House Bill 20-1084

Animal advocates received an extra gift this holiday season when President Trump signed a federal spending package for the 2020 fiscal year that included several investments in animal welfare.

In a victory for animal welfare advocates nationwide, President Trump signed into law the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act on November 25, 2019.