How Denver Animal Protection Is Failing Pets

"Beautiful"

That was the one-word answer by Melanie Sobel, director of Denver Animal Protection and

the municipal shelter of Denver City and County (DAS), sent after getting a text from Officer Josh Rolfe that the judge had lifted the stay and Lightning could be killed.  The text was revealed in Denver Post Reporting today.  They killed Lightning as quickly as possible.  So quickly that an appeal filed within hours was already too late.

Lightning is now dead after being a family dog for the past 8 years; his brother Thunder is still alive, and his fate sits in the hands of the same detractors.  DAP has a history of trying (and often succeeding) to kill family pets.  Oddly, people seem to have a better record of saving pets than the Denver Animal Shelter..

Thunder is sitting in a shelter kennel, alone and grieving for the loss of his family and now his brother.  He is alone and likely frightened.  All while the shelter actively plots to end his life next. 

When the reconsideration court hearing for a German Shepherd named Lightning took place on June 2, 2026, advocates ready, willing, and able to transfer him to a licensed, compassionate facility found out they were woefully and misguidedly confident.  Lightning was killed instead.

The family, PACFA organizations and the community are begging to save Thunder’s life. Sanctuaries are offering a guaranteed, safe, and loving environment for him to live out his senior years at zero cost to the city, yet the shelter, which is supposed to be a "safety net," spends taxpayer dollars to kill him instead. 

In Thunder’s favor are a dozen affirmative letters attesting to his friendly demeanor, offers from 5 Colorado PACFA-licensed organizations, and expert testimony from Dr. James Crosby, whose written report formally concluded that Thunder exhibits “full bite inhibition” and poses no more risk to public safety than any other dog 

The tax-supported, municipal agency’s representatives, Officer Rolfe and Ms. Wyle, testified in favor of killing Lightning.  And they succeeded in ending Lightning’s life.  We can anticipate that they will do the same at Thunder’s hearing and ensure they get to kill Thunder under the direction of Director Sobel.

They all work for one agency that calls itself a “protection” agency and a “shelter” agency.    I don’t think they know what those words mean.

We need your help.  Don’t let this happen.

Contact the mayor, your city council, DAP, and let them know you want them to save lives.  Share this story on all your social media to let’s get people to stand up and say no more killing of healthy and treatable pets in our shelter system!

Contact the Denver Mayor’s office HERE

COntact City COuncil Members HERE.

Contact the Animal Shelter and Protection HERE.