Aurora voters agree to repeal 20-year ban on pit bull dogs

AURORA | At first, Aurora voters seemed poised to overturn a decades-long ban on pit bull dogs.

Measure 3A, which would repeal the 20-year ban, received about 53% of the vote in Arapahoe County and 59% in Adams County.

Aurora’s pit bull ban was originally enacted in 2005, with some leniency for people who had previously been licensed by the city. In 2014, voters approved a referendum to keep the ban in place. However, in 2021, the Aurora City Council approved removing dog breed restrictions from the city ordinance without asking voters for permission.

Later in 2021, Aurora resident Matthew Snyder sued the Aurora City Council over the vote because it did not include voter support. He argued that the council had violated language in the city charter and that Aurora voters had decided the matter and should decide on any changes. By 2023, the Colorado Court of Appeals had ruled in Snyder’s favor.

So, Aurora lawmakers asked voters whether the city should lift its limited breed ban and allow residents to own American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers and Staffordshire Bull Terriers.

Question 1A on the Arapahoe County TABOR Bulletin

Voting Question in Aurora		Arapahoe County
Arapahoe County 1A – TAB RESTRICTIONS	Yes	145 975
Arapahoe County 1A – TAB RESTRICTIONS	No	60,787

Veterinarian position

“We had a big moment of panic when we saw that the repeal was reversed because we see a big difference when we have breed-specific legislation,” said Ali Mickelson, senior director of advocacy and education for the League of Dumb Friends. “But now they do not comply with this ban. So we haven’t felt it yet, but we are preparing for it.”

She said that when there is a breed ban, banned breeds are brought to shelters, and it is very difficult to find them a new home.

Many shelters are usually already at maximum capacity, so banning a specific breed makes it difficult to find space for them. Mickelson said many shelters refuse to kill unwanted dogs, and Colorado shelters have a strong network of animal relocations.

When Denver’s pit bull ban was in effect and Aurora fully implemented its breed-specific ban, the shelter had to label kennels warning people that they might be living in a place where that breed was banned.

“We have families come in and they’re really excited to learn more about the dog, and then they find out they can’t adopt it because of restrictions in their community,” Mickelson said. “It just results in us having dogs that stay longer.”

The Denver League of Dumb Friends is located on the border of Aurora and Denver. When both cities implemented the ban, Mickelson said they had a hard time finding homes for the breeds.

“When these two communities had these bans, it really limited our doctors for these breeds,” she said.

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