Colorado’s New Vaccine Rules Every Pet Owner Must Know

If you are planning on taking your dog to the groomer or boarding your dog any time soon in the near future, you should be aware that there is a new vaccine requirement.

Which Pets Are Affected By the New Law?

According to Denver 7, a new pet vaccine requirement has been enacted by rulemakers with the Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act Program. If you have had your pet in Colorado for quite some time, these rules won't necessarily apply to you and your pet.

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However, if you have recently rescued a pet from out of state, this could be very important news, as all dogs, cats, and ferrets must have a rabies vaccine before being transported to the state of Colorado. Puppies that are older than six weeks must have the parvovirus and distemper vaccinations at least two weeks before being brought over state lines, too.

New Requirements for Boarding, Grooming, and Daycare

There are also new vaccination mandates for local dog daycare facilities, boarding facilities, and groomers. These pet-focused businesses must now have a current vaccine record for the following:

• Rabies - pets that are over 16 weeks old
• Distemper - dogs over 8 weeks old
• Parvovirus - dogs over 8 weeks old
• FVRCP - cats over 8 weeks old

Some exemptions for dogs and cats will be available for being transported to Colorado. For owners to get an exemption for their pets, they would need a statement from a licensed veterinarian stating that any of these vaccines would endanger the pet's life. Even if an exemption is granted for a dog, these exempt dogs would not be allowed to interact with other dogs out of caution.

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These new rules were brought on mainly in part from an incident that occurred in 2024, when a litter of puppies was brought to Colorado from Texas by Moms & Mutts Colorado Rescue. All of the dogs in the litter were exposed to rabies and were adopted before showing signs of the virus.

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The infections were reported to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and sadly, all 11 puppies had to be euthanized as there is no cure for rabies once signs of the virus start to appear. The rabies virus spreads and moves into the brain, causing irreparable damage to the host. The rabies virus is fatal within a week once symptoms appear.