Dogs

Dog inflation: Animal shelters charging people big bucks to adopt "Very Important Pets"

Recently Gene Shue went looking for a new dog, a companion for the chihuahua he adopted three years ago -- and got a bad case of sticker shock. He found the perfect buddy dog at Golden's Foothills Animal Shelter, only to learn that the adoption fee was double what he'd paid for the same type of dog ... More >>

Marijuana and dogs: Vets warn (again) that you shouldn't give pot to pets

Back in 2010, we published a story in which a veterinarian warned that dogs shouldn't be given marijuana. Shortly thereafter, Fox31 did a lurid version of the same story, complete with imagery straight out of a '60s-era psychedelic flick. Then, last year, CBS4 reported about a vet who'd conducted a ... More >>

Photos: Cruz, show dog who died in Denver, poisoned at Westminster Kennel Club?

At least initially, the biggest local story to come out of this year's Westminster Kennel Club seemed to be the near-victory of Swagger, an Old English Sheepdog bred in Colorado Springs who become the annual extravaganza's Cinderella. But now, there's another, and far weirder, Colorado link to what' ... More >>

Ask a Stoner: How much pot can my dog handle?

Petco wants your dog to play well with others at free socialization classes this weekend

A dog may well be man's best friend. But if not trained properly, your canine companion could become your worst nightmare. That's why Petco will be hosting free puppy socialization seminars this weekend in every location in metro Denver. The sessions are designed to introduce puppies to new situatio ... More >>

Dog Days of Winter

Ken Foster, pit-bull propondent, remembers his pit stop in Denver

Ken Foster, author of I'm a Good Dog, didn't plan on making a stop in Denver. "But as the book's publication date approached, I began to see how much the book meant to people who love their dogs," Foster told us. "And it felt like an oversight not to do something in Denver, where change is so despe ... More >>

Pit bull mix bites don't convince Larimer Humane Society to target breeds

Denver's continuing pit bull ban remains a controversy lightning rod, with lovers of the breed putting blame for problems on owners even as critics see this type of dog as inherently dangerous. Now, two biting incidents involving pit-bull mixes in Larimer County (one dog is seen here) have revved up ... More >>

Best Friends Forever

Doggiewoggiez! Poochiewoochiez!: Top ten dog-themed Everything is Terrible videos

The video editing masterminds over at Everything is Terrible will be in town Saturday to show their new film Doggiewoggiez! Poochiewoochiez! at the Denver FilmCenter/Colfax. The collective is known for compiling tons of found footage into hypnotizing viral videos, and their canine-themed movie tonig ... More >>

Reader: Owners who train pit bulls to be aggressive should be punished, not the breed

As we've noted in this space before, interesting comments beget interesting comments -- something that was proven again after we shared the all-capped thoughts of a pit bull lover earlier this week. Here, a reader suggests that pit bull blame is being misdirected.

Pit bull battle: Team Pit-A-Full creates an international petition in support of the breed

​They don't make Air Bud movies about pit bulls. There are no commercials in which a pit bull licks ice cream from a gleeful toddler's cone of Rocky Road, and only Weimeraners seem to drive cars. In Denver, the pit bull breed is illegal, and it has been for decades. David Edelstein can't chang ... More >>

Contest: Fattest dog wins free workout from dog trainer and former kindergarten teacher

Fat dog doesn't care that its fat.​Dogs are like babies in one respect above all others: They don't know they're fat (or drooling half the time, for that matter). But unlike dogs, babies grow up, get skinny, then fat again. Canines go down another road, one of constant eating and as much sleep ... More >>

Pit bulls at center of two shootings by Colorado police officers in two days

​The debate about Denver's longstanding pit bull ban continues to raise passions among those who love the breed, as well as people who fear it. And this week, two separate incidents have fired more debate. One in which Edgewater officers killed a Rottweiler after the dog and a pit bull chased ... More >>

Pit bull attack victim says owners should know their dog could kill someone (VIDEO)

Video below.​Pit bull bans in Denver and Colorado cities like Aurora have stirred controversy among activists, who insist that bad owners, not the breed, are to blame when the dogs attack. But while Nederland's Michael O'Neill, who was recently injured by a pit bull, doesn't back a ban, he say ... More >>

Pit bulls: Denver's decision to allow their use as service dogs won't stop lawsuit, attorney says

​Denver's quiet policy change to allow pit bulls to be used as service dogs might seem to end a class-action lawsuit demanding just such a change. But no: Jennifer Edwards, the Animal Law Center attorney behind the court action, says the fight will go on due to several factors, including a po ... More >>

Pit bull service-dog rules go into effect as Aurora looks to adjust its "bully breeds" ban

​New federal guidelines tightening the traditionally loosey-goosey definition "service animals" go into effect today. From now on only dogs (and, um, in some cases, miniature horses) that have been "individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disabi ... More >>

Pit bull service-dog ban in Aurora set to fall, but councilman favors other restrictions on breed

​In December, Denver City Council rejected a service-dog exemption to its longtime pit bull ban, despite a lawsuit claiming the rule breaks federal law. Aurora faced a similar dilemma, and while the city council is on the cusp of creating the same kind of exemption Denver rejected, one member ... More >>

Up With Pups aerial show: An airborne canine event

Duffy (top) and Miller​If you love Cirque de Soleil, can't wait for Denver's first Aerial Acrobatic Arts Festival, coming in May -- and, oh yeah, happen to like dogs -- then the upcoming pooch-oriented aerial show Don't Kill Bill: A Dog Lover's Night Out might be just the ticket. Organizer Ky ... More >>

New Belgium and Outside Magazine use beer and social media to help dogs

Dogs, beer and philanthropy make a perfect mix.​New Belgium Brewing Co. is teaming up with Outside Magazine to take advantage of dog owners' desires to take pictures of their dogs and eagerly share them with anyone who's alive. Coinciding with the release of Mighty Arrow Pale Ale is a Facebook ... More >>

Pit bull activists bring Pit Fest to City Hall

Pit-bull service dog ban in Denver: Is it time for ordinance that doesn't single out breed?

Flickr​Denver City Council's decision not to provide a service-dog exception for its long-time pit-bull ban violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to an attorney suing Denver and Aurora on behalf of disabled vets. Councilwoman Paula Sandoval, who voted for creating an excepti ... More >>

Pit bull service-dog ban in Denver violates federal law, says attorney suing city

​Denver City Council's decision not to provide a service-dog exemption to its longtime pit bull ban isn't just bad public policy, in the opinion of Jennifer Reba Edwards, attorney and founder of the Animal Law Center. It's also illegal -- which is why her firm is suing the city, as well as Aur ... More >>

Pit bull controversy: Was man justified to hammer Benny in the head after dog attack?

Benny.​Jared Jacang Maher's 2009 Westword feature "For Two Decades, Pit Bulls Have Been Public Enemy #1 in Denver -- But Maybe It's Time for a Recount" examined Denver's controversial pit bull ban -- a subject further illuminated by photos of the city's pit bull row and leaked images of piled- ... More >>

Denver gets a second new dog park near East High -- along with an urban garden

railyarddogs.orgRailyard Dog Park construction.​Students returning to East High School today can look forward to a lesson in community involvement over the next two years, courtesy of Denver's parks department. By the end of September, the city plans to demolish the former Safeway/Church in t ... More >>

Dog Days of Summer

Denver's Most Dogged: Kenny Be knows dog-lovers and what they want

​In this week's Westword, Kenny Be draws "Denver's Most Dogged" -- a breakdown of the city's rabid dog-lovers. After dividing the dog-lovers into six types -- from Petrosexuals to Dogvocates -- he outlines their every desire. Click through to see where you and your dog fit in ...

A North City Park resident says his dogs' accuser is barking up the wrong tree

From the week of October 15, 2009

Leaked: photos of pit bulls killed due to Denver ban

The carcass of a young pit bull at Denver's animal shelter in 2006​ As part of the feature story on the effectiveness of the Denver's twenty-year-old law outlawing pit bull breeds, Westword posted a photo blog of dogs impounded in a section of the municipal animal shelter known as Pit Bull Row ... More >>

From the week of October 1, 2009

Denver's pit-bull ban snares more than pit bulls

Incognito and on the run: an American Staffordshire Terrier.​He was in our front yard and a little hard to miss. About as inconspicuous as a Hummer in a rose garden. And my wife, Lisa, wanted to rescue him. Maybe it's because of all the old houses and flimsy fences, maybe it's the proximity t ... More >>

Shmucks of the Week: dog abusers

Vlog the Impaler: Puppies=Pussy

Puppy Love

My life is going to the dogs.

Animal Instincts

Biologist Marc Bekoff discusses the latest scientific findings.

Canine Capers

Puppy Love

John Cusack is another endearing mutt in Must Love Dogs.

Best Place to Take Your Dog for a Dip

City Bark

Dog Smarts

Rally Obedience tests brainy canines

Best Hope for Your Canine's Canines

Suzie's Tartar Liquid, Suzie's Pet Supplies

Haute Dogs

Mutts & Models struts its puppy love

Best Dog Toy

Kong

Best Place to Rent a Dog

Maxfund Animal Shelter

Best Dog Paradise

Dog training area
Cherry Creek State Park

Best Pooch-Friendly Restaurant

Poggio's

Best Dog Park

Off-Leash Dog Park

Dog Days