Colorado statute
C.R.S. § 18-9-206 — Unauthorized release of an animal - penalty - restitution.
Current through 2025 Regular Session
Part of Part 2: CRUELTY TO ANIMALS, Colorado Revised Statutes.
Criminal charges under this statute
Full text of C.R.S. § 18-9-206
Statutory text current through the 2025 Regular Session. This is an officially sanctioned publication using the official text of the Colorado Revised Statutes; it is not the official statutes of the State of Colorado.
(1) Any person who intentionally releases any animal which is lawfully confined for scientific, research, commercial, legal sporting, or educational purposes or for public safety purposes because the animal has been determined to be dangerous to people, has an infectious disease, or is quarantined to determine whether or not it has an infectious disease without the consent of the owner or custodian of such animal commits the offense of unauthorized release of an animal. (2) Unauthorized release of an animal is a class 2 misdemeanor. (3) Any person who is convicted of unauthorized release of an animal shall be ordered to pay restitution for any damages resulting from such release, including the cost of restoring any animal to confinement, the cost of restoring the health of any animal which is released, the cost of any damage to real or personal property which is caused by a released animal, or any cost which results if the release causes the failure of an experiment, including the costs of repeating the experiment, replacement of any animal released, and the cost of labor and materials associated with such experiment.
Official sources
Legal terms used in this section
Questions this section answers
Is unauthorized release of an animal a felony or a misdemeanor in Colorado?
Unauthorized release of an animal is a class 2 misdemeanor in Colorado under C.R.S. § 18-9-206.
Which Colorado statute covers unauthorized release of an animal?
Unauthorized release of an animal is governed by C.R.S. § 18-9-206 (Unauthorized release of an animal - penalty - restitution).
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.