DENVER — The only slaughterhouse in Denver survived a pro-animal group-led effort to shut it down that would have also prevented other similar facilities from opening in Denver as voters rejected Initiated Ordinance 309 on Tuesday.
Unofficial results from the Denver Clerk and Recorder showed 64.26% of voters were against the measure compared to 35.74% who were for it, with more than 307,000 ballots counted.
Denver’s Superior Farms is one of the largest lamb processing facilities in the U.S. and kills nearly a half million 6-month old lambs each year, according to Denver Decides.
It employs over 160 people, some of which have worked at the facility for decades.
"I actually started at Superior Farms on September 19, 2000, and the reason why we found out about Superior Farms is because my mom worked here before," Isabel Bautista told Denver7 in September.
Bautista, who started at Superior Farms cleaning products and after 25 years became operations manager, has been fearful of what the election would mean for her job and that of her coworkers.
"They're scared. Just just like me," Bautista said. "We're counting the days because we know this is important for us, but I think it's making a very big impact on their emotions.
Initiated Ordinance 309 was brought to the November ballot by animal rights group Pro-Animal Future after gathering more than 30,000 signatures. The organization told Denver7 it considered the loss of jobs when bringing Initiated Ordinance to Denver voters.
"That's why we included a provision in our legislation that would require the city of Denver to prioritize affected workers," said Natalie Fulton, social media lead for Pro-Animal Future.
Supporters of the ban argued industrial slaughterhouses are cruel to animals and dangerous to workers, according to Denver Decides.
Those opposed to the ban said it ‘unfairly’ targeted Superior Farms, an employee-owned business, of which 80 percent are people of color.
Initiated Ordinance 309 would have taken effect on January 1, 2026.
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