Attorneys with The Animal Law Center in Wheatridge, Colorado are pleased to announce that the City of Denver is reconsidering two portions of its 20-year-old ban on pit bulls. In a meeting of City’s Health, Safety, Education and Services Committee on Tuesday, August 24, 2010, City Attorney David Broadwell introduced revisions to the ban that would allow residents to own pit bulls designated as service dogs.

Attorneys with The Animal Law Center of Wheatridge, Colorado today filed a civil lawsuit in Federal  Court against the Commerce City Police Department on behalf of their clients Frank and Julia Agazio of Commerce City, Colorado. In their suit, the Agazio’s claim that Commerce City Police Officer Suzanne Barber used excessive and unnecessary force when she shot and killed the Agazio family dog during a routine call to their home.

Lawyers with The Animal Law Center successfully prevented further seizure by the Colorado Department of Agriculture of cattle owned by Park County rancher Vernon Wagner. Early Friday evening, 11th Judicial District Judge Stephen Groome ruled that the state could not seize the remainder of Wagner’s herd.

“Judge Groome recognized that the state’s seizure was a violation of Due Process and Wagner’s civil rights,” said Jennifer Edwards, lawyer and founder of The Animal Law Center. “This decision preserves Mr. Wagner’s right to operate his cattle operation in Park County.”

City of Denver and City of Aurora Agree to an Interim Order

The Animal Law Center announces that an agreement was reached March 11, 2010 with the City of Denver and the City of Aurora with regards to “pit-bull-type” service dogs in their jurisdictions.

People protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) who have service dogs that might be deemed to be pit bulls or another restricted type breed in Denver and Aurora are under the protection of a stipulation between The Animal Law Center and the City and County of Denver and the City of Aurora. This stipulation will be filed as part of a class action lawsuit in Federal Court seeking permanent relief from having a service dog impounded solely because of its breed. It is important to note that the City and County of Denver and the City of Aurora have already agreed to refrain from enforcing their breed-specific ordinances as it relates to service dogs.

The Animal Law Center is filing a lawsuit to permanently protect the rights of service dog owners pursuant to the ADA from suffering discrimination based solely on the breed of their service dog.