Leaked: photos of pit bulls killed due to Denver ban

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. Now, photographs have surfaced apparently showing some of the estimated 3,487...

By Jared Jacang Maher

October 7, 2009

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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. Now, photographs have surfaced apparently showing some of the estimated 3,487 pit bull carcasses that have been carted away from from the shelter since the ban was enacted.

The photo-taker, who asked to remain anonymous, tells Westword the pictures were taken in 2006 on the grounds of the city animal shelter. According to officials, animals euthanized by the shelter are removed by a contractor for disposal.

After a one-year moratorium, Denver began to again enforce the pit bull ban in 2005, causing a 77 percent increase in the number of dogs impounded in Pit Bull Row. City records show that between 2005 and 2006, 1,454 pit bulls were put down, leading to the large pile-ups of dead dogs depicted here. Click photos for full size.

UPDATE 10-12-09: Three more photos of the same scene scanned from the original copies at Westword offices.

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