Colorado law requires courts to prohibit people convicted of felony animal cruelty from owning, possessing or caring for pet animals for three to five years. The rule is not new: it came from House Bill 19-1092, which became law in 2019.
The restriction is narrower than a blanket ban covering every animal-cruelty case. It applies when the conviction under Colorado’s cruelty statute is a felony, and the law includes a limited exception when the defendant’s treatment provider specifically recommends against the ban and the court agrees.
What the three-to-five-year order covers
Colorado Revised Statutes section 18-9-202 says the court must enter the ownership restriction as a condition of the sentence after a felony conviction under the section. It covers owning, possessing or caring for a “pet animal,” a defined term under state law.
Felony animal-cruelty convictions can arise in different ways. Aggravated cruelty—knowingly torturing, needlessly mutilating or needlessly killing an animal—is classified as a class 4 felony. A second or subsequent conviction for ordinary cruelty can be a class 6 felony.
Fines, evaluations and treatment
The statute also requires an evaluation before sentencing. Courts may order anger-management, mental-health or other appropriate treatment designed to address the factors behind the offense. When treatment is recommended and the court agrees, completion may become a condition of probation or a deferred judgment or sentence.
The law states that a court may suspend an imposed fine after successful completion of treatment, except for a $500 mandatory minimum assessed at sentencing. Separate enhanced minimum fines can apply to repeat cruelty convictions and certain crimes involving service or law-enforcement animals.
Why the timing matters
The pet-ownership provision should not be presented as a new 2026 policy. Colorado lawmakers enacted it in 2019, and the operative language remains in the current statute. Its purpose is preventive: keeping a person convicted of felony animal cruelty from immediately gaining control of another pet while also allowing courts to address treatment needs.
The law contains detailed definitions, sentencing rules and exceptions, so the outcome of an individual case depends on the conviction and the court’s findings. The clearest summary is that felony convictions trigger a three-to-five-year order unless the statute’s treatment-provider exception is satisfied.
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