DENVER - There are dozens of specialized license plates in Colorado, but the Adopt-a-Shelter Pet License plate, which raises money for underserved animal shelters, has grown incredibly popular in recent months.
"Within 10 months, it has more than 2,700 plates on the street," Mark Couch, with the Colorado Department of Revenue, said.
He said that is an impressive statistic considering the dozens of special license plates that people can buy.
"We have the full gamut of plates that don't sell very well and plates that sell incredibly well," Couch said.
Couch said only two other specialty plates have been beating the Adopt-a-Shelter Pet plates in sales: one in support of breast cancer awareness, and the other, the Broncos.
"In the first six months alone this generated $36,000 dollars, "Ralph Johnson, with the Colorado Pet Overpopulation Fund, said.
Johnson said the next step of the campaign is the construction of billboards around the metro area urging people to buy the plates and raising awareness for homeless pets in Colorado.
"We're trying to heighten their adoptability by making sure they are sterilized and aren't going to contribute further to the pet overpopulation problem," Johnson said.
Johnson said many shelters across the state are forced to terminate pets they don't have the resources to care for.
"30,000 homeless animals are euthanized in a typical year," he said.
But he said that can change if the license plates keep selling.
The plates are available at the Department of Motor Vehicles and cost $80. Out of that cost, $30 goes to the Pet Overpopulation Fund.
(KUSA-TV © 2011 Multimedia Holdings Corporation)