Anyone who has owned a dog, cat, or other pet realizes their value as playmate, responsibility, and comfort. As an owner, you are responsible for their care, safety, and well-being; in return, you appreciate their love. According to Colorado law, they are considered “possessions," not any different than a piece of jewelry, a recliner, vehicle, or a dirty sock. 

My son lost his dog, Wentworth, when his girlfriend died. Her mother took Wentworth without letting our son say goodbye. She also did not comply with what would have been her daughter's wishes--to give Wentworth to her twin nieces. When we looked into our son's legal rights through arbitration or mediation, there was nothing he could do because he gave the dog to his girlfriend as a gift ... a “possession.” It was heart-breaking. Wentworth not only lost the young lady who died, but he was taken from his home of 2+ years, a loving “dad,” and his pal/brother Rottweiler, Sylas.

Please sign this petition to consider Wentworth’s Bill to change a pet from being a possession to being a valued member of a family.