The new Colorado Humane Society & SPCA will investigate allegations of animal cruelty and neglect on Colorado’s Eastern Plains — an area not currently staffed by the state’s Bureau of Animal Protection, officials announced Monday.
The goal of the new organization is not only to investigate allegations of cruelty but also to prevent cruelty and neglect, said Duane Adams, associate director of the new Colorado Humane Society & SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).
“We hope to be a resource for people who find themselves in difficult situations,” Adams said.
“The need for this service is even greater in these tough economic times,” he said.
The new Colorado Humane Society has no ties to the organization with the same name that was shut down by state Attorney General John Suthers.
Suthers alleged the old humane society put to death nearly 30 percent of animals at its facility, which was often described as a “no-kill” shelter.
The new organization is an independent, Colorado-based nonprofit not funded or managed by national advocacy groups or government agencies, Adams said.
Although the new Colorado Humane Society will not operate a shelter, it will work with agencies that do, he said.
In August, the Colorado Commission of Agriculture approved three animal-welfare investigators who will work for the new humane society, assisting local agencies in 13 counties.
The Bureau of Animal Protection, part of the agriculture department, supports local law enforcement in animal- cruelty and -neglect investigations.
Many criminal-justice experts have linked certain types of animal abuse to crimes against humans, including domestic violence.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
