By Shaun Boyd | CBS Colorado
The high cost of living in Colorado is impacting not only families but their beloved pets.
Dog surrenders are up and adoptions are down at shelters across the state and the cost of pet care is one of the many reasons.
According to the National Canine Advocacy Group, about 55,000 dogs were brought into Colorado shelters last year — nearly 20,000 of them were surrendered by their owners. Not only are shelters taking in more dogs, but they’re also putting down more dogs; 5,000 dogs were euthanized last year in Colorado. While many shelters have “no-kill” policies, they don’t cover dogs that are unhealthy or unsafe.
Elizabeth Coalson, founder of the nonprofit National Canine Advocacy Group, says many of the dogs that were euthanized had behavioral problems that started when they were puppies and became worse when they entered shelters that were overcrowded and understaffed.