The Colorado Dept of Public Health and Environment just murdered 11 puppies under the guise of them all “being exposed to rabies”. 

On August 8th the county called to inform us that we would need to quarantine our 11 week old puppy because his sibling had tested “positive” for rabies. They initially told us 120 days is the standard, but that they would knock that down to 90 since he had already been quarantined for a month at that point from the “date of exposure”. Naturally, we were confused, worried for him, and we sought legal counsel. The lawyers encouraged us to negotiate to 60 days in the “secure facility” the CDPHE states on their site as the quarantine facility, and 30 days at home which would have been the custom in a 120 days quarantine. We also intended to see if we could visit him, as many others reached out saying this was also custom in their experience. The Colorado statute even says that quarantine at home is an option, which we didn’t know at the time.

I,  Jess (Musubi’s mom), told the county official I would need to break the news to my boyfriend and then we would reach out asap to get more info on this quarantine. All night we discussed ways we could help keep his training going from quarantine, and ways to keep him entertained and not fearful. We didn’t feel good about the situation, but were ready to at least have the conversation. When we called the county back, no one answered and no one called us back.

Almost 24 hours later, we received a call from the rescue we adopted at stating the state just informed them they were coming to seize all of the puppies for immediate euthanasia.

We, and the rest of the families,  were stunned, ambushed, panicked, confused, hurt etc. 

Not a single soul from the CDPHE or county contacted us. We reached out to new outlets, lawyers, anyone. What they were doing didn’t seem legal, fair, or just. They gave no explanation, they just kept traumatizing all of us. Armed officers stormed into homes and took dogs on catch poles, some in front of children. 

All the while we were left in the dark. 

They began escalating the situation to threatening us with a year of jail and $1000 fines, never once actually contacting us themselves to explain what was happening. Only threats, only violence.

The only thing we knew was that not a single puppy had symptoms other than the first (which were more consistent with distemper from what I understand).

When we called the CDPHE hotline that the public claimed we needed to call, we were told we were at no risk and recommended to NOT get PEP, the life saving post exposure for rabies treatment. In fact, the state epidemiologist who we were told was who we spoke to essentially insinuated that we wouldn’t get PEP unless we surrendered our dog. So now, they were putting our lives at risk as well if they truly believed this was a crisis. 

Over the last two weeks since this happened, I’ve had countless folks reaching out sharing stories about the CDPHE mishandling situations with animals and human health alike. Ive learned the state public health folks have a history of deleting vital emails, and fabricating statistics. I've also learned that the states entire reasoning for "mandating" this was based on a rumor that Texas officials "heard there was a skunk on the property where the dogs were", when in fact, no one investigating this ever actually saw any skunk at all. 

The CDPHE has been getting away with shady behavior time and time again because no one has been willing to challenge them.  

Well, myself and a few others are, and I need your help with paying our lawyers to fight them.

Ideally, I want a lot of people fired at CDPHE and a deeper investigation of them on all facets, as it seems they lack integrity in other areas as. I also want more of a voice for rescues to have a say so in how protocols are worked into law, for families to have definitive right to chose what happens in these situations and for that to be undisputed, and if these wishes are not upheld, then governing parties should see jail time themselves as any citizen would when breaking the law, and changes to PACFA (the guidelines rescue must abide by) where there are actual protocols for these things (guided by the rescues themselves on what is actually possible) because from what I’ve read of PACFA’s guidelines there really are no protocols for situations like this. Realistically, able to get some policy and law changes as well as see to it that if these laws are broken, there are consequences in the future.

We believe the CDPHE went directly against Colorado statute, national guidance, and their own policies. They trampled on rights, and they continue to get away with it time and time again with no repercussions it seems. They parade around screaming “it was for the health of all Coloradans” while actively traumatizing us and striping our rights to choose.

The lawyers have been candid projecting this will cost at least $50,000 and that there is no monetary value in suing when it comes to animal rights, only law and policy change. We don’t care about getting money, that won’t get our boy back. However, we want to honor him and the 10 others who were taken by protecting future families and fur friends from ever being traumatized like this ever again. 

If you can donate to help our fight, please do. And if you can’t, that’s okay too. Please share our story and that will help as well. 

If you got this far, thank you for taking the time to read this. We are doing our best to ensure no families and no souls have to endure this horrid behavior EVER again.  Let’s get after it and protect our best friends!