Chalk up a victory for animal rights activists in Boulder County, officials there have changed the way they will “manage” prairie dogs on public property when imposing the death penalty.

Instead of poisoning the critters using aluminum phosphide, officials will create mini gas chambers with carbon monoxide-generating pellets.

There was much rejoicing:

“Thank you for eliminating the use of poisons to exterminate prairie dogs on your properties,” Prairie Dog Coalition director Lindsey Sterling Krank told the commissioners during a public hearing.

Still, some residents urged the county to adopt a relocation program over extermination, and the folks at the Prairie Dog Coalition are hoping to find 5,000 acres suitable for critter condominiums.

In other first-world problems, the county rolled back restrictions on the amount of grass and other vegetation required for prairie dog relocation areas, and voted to create a Prairie Dog Planning Commission to determine open space requirements for the condominiums and limit parking and commercial space proposed by Prairie Dog developers.

Okay, so we made that last part up, just checking to see who’s paying attention today.