Denver gay bar, Charlie’s, cancels Pride turtle race amid animal cruelty complaints

One of Denver’s premier gay bars will spend Pride Month undergoing an investigation regarding its treatment of animals.

Charlie’s Denver hosted a turtle race on Saturday, May 30, that quickly sparked public backlash. A since-deleted video from the bar shows six tiny turtles on a table surrounded by cheering patrons. Participants doused the turtles with spray bottles and blocked their paths with objects. Some sprayed the animals from behind, while others sprayed them in the face, seemingly competing to get them across or keep them away from the finish line.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals calls the behavior “grossly inhumane.”

“Turtles are a shy and sensitive species,” says Gemma Vaughan, captive animal case specialist at PETA. “They get away from anybody they perceive to be a threat by diving into water, hiding under rocks and vegetation. When you deny an animal the opportunity to behave in a natural way and you force them to be exposed to all of these external stressors, it has an incredibly negative impact on the animal.”

PETA received multiple complaints regarding Charlie’s turtle race, according to Vaughan. Over a dozen additional reports about the event were sent to Denver Animal Protection and the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Animal Protection, local officials confirm. Other critics turned to social media, slamming Charlie’s in widely shared Instagram and Reddit posts.

This was not Charlie’s first turtle race, and it wasn’t intended to be the last. The bar had already announced plans to host another race during Pride weekend later this month.

However, following the public outrage, the bar is stepping away from reptile racing.

“Charlie’s Denver will not host turtle racing events in the future,” the bar said in an online statement on June 1. “We understand that many members of our community were uncomfortable with the event and have expressed concerns about the welfare of the animals involved. We appreciate everyone who took the time to share their feedback, and we take those concerns seriously.”

Under PACFA rules, any facility that uses pet animals for “commercial exhibition, recreation or sporting purposes,” even on a temporary basis, is classified as a commercial pet animal facility and subject to licensing requirements.

“Since this is an unlicensed facility, the PACFA team would start with a cease and desist order for operating without a license and for the possession of turtles. If they don’t cease and desist, we could impose criminal penalties and seek a temporary restraining order and a permanent injunction,” says Olga Robak, spokesperson for the ag department.

State law also prohibits owning turtles with a shell length of less than four inches, as the turtles in the video appear to be. Owning tiny turtles is allowed only if the owner bred adult turtles larger than four inches and ended up with smaller babies, Robak explains. The PACFA Program will consider that law in its investigation.

According to Charlie’s, the turtles are “privately owned, farm-raised” pets, belonging to a member of the Colorado Gay Rodeo Association. The turtle race on May 30 served as a fundraiser for the nonprofit. The association did not respond to inquiries from Westword.

“The turtles involved were not taken from the wild,” Charlie’s said in its statement. “The animals were transported to the event by their owner, remained under their care throughout the event, and were returned safely to their home afterward, where they continue to be cared for.”

The turtles’ presence within the bar was also under scrutiny. Though the May 30 turtle race was held outdoors, now-deleted videos on Charlie’s social media showed a previous race that was apparently held indoors. Non-service animals are not allowed inside of food establishments under Denver health regulations.

Someone reported Charlie’s previous indoor turtle race to PETA weeks before the May 30 event, Vaughan says. PETA flagged the event with the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment as a potential health code violation.

“The threat of zoonotic disease, specifically E. coli and Salmonella, is a real concern whenever you handle any reptile,” Vaughan says, “and particularly when they’re present in an area where food is being prepared and consumed or where drinks are served.”

DDPHE contacted Charlie’s about the health code complaint after the May 30 race inspired a wave of 10 to 15 animal welfare reports, says Josh Rolfe, animal protection lieutenant with the department.

“They understand that they are not to have turtles inside the bar again,” Rolfe says, noting that such a violation would only warrant a warning.

Rolfe says DDPHE also investigated the animal welfare complaints, but found no evidence of violations on that front.

“We found it did not violate any of the city’s ordinance or state law around animal welfare,” Rolfe explains. “[Misting] encourages them to move and ‘race,’ and that doesn’t qualify as mistreatment.”

“But just because something is legal doesn’t necessarily mean it’s appropriate,” he adds. “The court of public opinion weighed in pretty heavily. … The city does not like this type of animal exhibition.”

Vaughan agrees, arguing that the events put turtles under serious stress.

“If you can imagine putting yourself in their position, how terrifying that must be,” Vaughan says. “They have no way to escape. They’re a prey animal, they view everybody as a predator. They’re being subjected to the chaos of a bar environment, including the handling, loud and rowdy crowds, and intense vibrations, which to them means danger. Adding to that, being sprayed by a water bottle.”

DDPHE investigators did not inspect the turtles or inquire about how they came to be in the owner’s possession, according to Rolfe.

Charlie’s could not be reached for comment.