Denver Offers Breed Assessments Following Pit Bull Ban Repeal

DENVER (CBS4) - Denver is just days away from the rollout of breed-restricted permits after residents voted in November to repeal the city's pit bull ban. Denver Animal Protection will begin the assessment process on Saturday, allowing restricted breeds to be kept or adopted in the city.

On Wednesday, the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment held a live run-through of the restricted-breed assessment. Officials explained the steps to determine if a dog is one of the restricted breeds, which include American Staffordshire Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier or Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

The dog examined during the demonstration is named Penguin. She's the first Pit Bull that will be available for adoption in Denver since 1989.

Assessments will take 30-45 minutes and will be conducted by Denver Animal Protection at the Denver Animal Shelter.

Owners of dogs determined not to be a banned breed will be provided with an official evaluation letter. Owners of dogs determined to be a banned breed will need to apply for a breed-restricted permit.

The assessment fee is $25 per dog and is non-refundable. In addition, breed-restricted permits are $30 and owners must renew them every year for three years. If there are no violations within that time period, permit holders can request to be removed from breed-restricted requirements.

All dogs in Denver are required to have a rabies vaccination, city license, and be spayed or neutered, or have an intact permit allowing the dog to remain unaltered. For more information, click here.

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