State guide
Colorado
Colorado puts bite reporting and rabies follow-up primarily in local public health agencies, with local animal control involved in confinement and enforcement depending on the jurisdiction. For injured or orphaned wildlife, Colorado Parks and Wildlife is the state agency and directs the public to licensed wildlife rehabilitation facilities or local CPW offices.
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- Who handles animal control locally
- Colorado usually relies on local public health departments for rabies reporting and quarantine decisions, with city or county animal-control agencies handling enforcement and response depending on the jurisdiction.
- State wildlife agency (nuisance and injured wildlife)
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife
- Nuisance wildlife help
- Official page →
- Reporting an animal bite
- Colorado requires bite reports to the health department or health officer; the state rabies page says bitten people should contact their local public health department immediately.
- State rabies contact
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment - Rabies program / local public health agencies
Official resources in Colorado
Official state rabies page with bite-reporting, quarantine, exposure, and local-health-department guidance.
Official wildlife-help page for injured or distressed wildlife and Colorado’s licensed rehabilitator information.
Official CPW contact page stating to call the nearest regional or area office to report injured or problem wildlife.
Official Colorado statutes PDF containing rabies notice and bite-reporting requirements to the health department or health officer.
Key facts for Colorado
- Colorado’s rabies FAQ says people bitten or scratched by an unfamiliar animal should contact their healthcare provider and local public health department immediately.
- Colorado law says every physician attending a person bitten by a dog, cat, other pet animal, or other mammal must report to the health department or health officer.
- Colorado law also allows any person having knowledge of such a bite to report it to the health department or health officer.
- CDPHE says bats and skunks are the main rabies sources in Colorado.
- CPW tells the public not to touch, move, or handle distressed wildlife and to contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitation facility.
- CPW says if no rehabber in your area handles that species, contact your local CPW office.
Local animal control offices in Colorado
| Office | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver Animal Protection / Denver Animal Shelter Denver | Denver | 720-913-2080 | Denver’s full-service animal protection agency for Denver County; dispatch handles field services, investigations, enforcement, and strays 24/7. |
| Riverdale Animal Shelter Adams | Brighton | 720.523.PETS (7387) | Adams County shelter contact page for Riverdale Animal Shelter. |
| Denver Animal Protection - Animal Ordinances & Legislation Denver | Denver | 720-913-2080 | Official Denver animal-protection page listing officer dispatch and other inquiry routes for ordinance enforcement and permits. |
* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.
What to do next
- If a person is bitten, contact your local public health department right away; Colorado’s state rabies page treats local public health as the main reporting and quarantine authority.
- If a wild animal is injured or orphaned, do not handle it; use the CPW wildlife rehabilitation page and contact a licensed rehabilitator or local CPW office.
- For strange-acting animals or domestic-animal confinement issues, involve the local health department and local animal-control authority in the jurisdiction where the incident happened.
Not seeing your office or county?
Not every office publishes its rules online. Try these, in order:
- General Start with the statewide information above.
- Closest verified Nearest places where we have verified local data outside this state (distance from Colorado's population center, for comparison only):
- City of Cheyenne Animal Control, Wyoming · about 111 miles
- Laramie County Animal Control, Wyoming · about 111 miles
- Santa Fe Animal Services, New Mexico · about 272 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office.Colorado Rabies FAQ
Website →Phone: (303) 692-2000 (as listed on that page, checked Oct 4, 2026)Your city or county office: Local governments →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Colorado page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us with a link to the official page.