General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 6303
January Session, 2011 *_____HB06303PD____031111____*
General Assembly
Substitute Bill No. 6303
January Session, 2011
*_____HB06303PD____031111____*
AN ACT CONCERNING THE TREATMENT OF ILL AND INJURED ANIMALS IN MUNICIPAL ANIMAL SHELTERS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. NEW (Effective October 1, 2011) (a) For purposes of this section, "animal control officer" means a municipal or regional animal control officer, "animal treatment list" means a list of organizations that will provide treatment by a licensed veterinarian to an ill or injured animal in a municipal or regional dog pound without charge to such dog pound, and "organization" means a public or private nonprofit animal rescue organization.
(b) Each animal control officer shall maintain an animal treatment list that includes the contact information for any organization that requests to be placed on such list. If at any time an animal control officer observes that an impounded animal is ill or injured and reasonably believes that such animal is in urgent need of veterinary treatment, or if a municipal employee, member of an organization or volunteer at a municipal or regional dog pound observes that an impounded animal is ill or injured, reasonably believes that such animal is in urgent need of veterinary treatment and notifies an animal control officer of this belief, such animal control officer shall, not later than twenty-four hours after such animal control officer observed or received notification of such animal's illness or injury, (1) arrange for the treatment of such animal by a licensed veterinarian, or (2) if such dog pound has insufficient funds to cover the cost of such treatment, contact one or more organizations on the animal treatment list to request or arrange for such treatment.
(c) If an animal control officer contacts an organization on the animal treatment list to request or arrange for the treatment of an ill or injured animal and the seven-day period under subsection (b) of section 22-332 of the general statutes, as amended by this act, for an owner to claim such animal has not expired, such organization may provide, at such organization's expense, treatment by a licensed veterinarian of the organization's choice. If an animal control officer contacts an organization on the animal treatment list to request or arrange for such treatment and the seven-day period under said subsection has expired, the organization may, notwithstanding subsection (b) of section 22-332 of the general statutes, as amended by this act, take ownership and possession of such animal without charge to such organization and may provide, at such organization's expense, treatment to such animal by a licensed veterinarian of the organization's choice.
(d) Nothing in this section shall prevent an animal from being mercifully killed by a licensed veterinarian or disposed of as the State Veterinarian may direct when, in the opinion of a licensed veterinarian, an animal is so ill or injured that it should be destroyed immediately.
Sec. 2. Section 22-332 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2011):
(a) The Chief Animal Control Officer, any animal control officer or any municipal animal control officer shall be responsible for the enforcement of this chapter and shall make diligent search and inquiry for any violation of any of its provisions. Any such officer may take into custody (1) any dog found roaming in violation of the provisions of section 22-364, (2) any dog not having a tag or plate on a collar about its neck or on a harness on its body as provided by law or which is not confined or controlled in accordance with the provisions of any order or regulation relating to rabies issued by the commissioner in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, or (3) any dog found injured on any highway, neglected, abandoned or cruelly treated. The officer shall impound such dog at the pound serving the town where the dog is taken unless, in the opinion of a licensed veterinarian, the dog is so injured or diseased that it should be destroyed immediately, in which case the municipal animal control officer of such town may cause the dog to be mercifully killed by a licensed veterinarian or disposed of as the State Veterinarian may direct. The municipal animal control officer shall immediately notify the owner or keeper of any dog so taken, if known, of its impoundment. Such officer shall immediately notify the owner or keeper of any other animal which is taken into custody, if such owner or keeper is known. If the owner or keeper of any such dog or other animal is unknown, the officer shall immediately tag or employ such other suitable means of identification of the dog or other animal as may be approved by the Chief Animal Control Officer and shall promptly cause (1) a description of such dog or other animal to be published once in the lost and found column of a newspaper having a circulation in such town, and (2) a photograph or description of such dog or other animal and the date on which such dog or animal shall be available for adoption to be posted on a national pet adoption Internet web site, except that if an officer does not have the technological resources to post such information on such web site, such officer shall contact an organization on the animal treatment list and request that such organization post such information at such organization's expense. For purposes of this section, "animal treatment list" and "organization" have the same meaning as provided in section 1 of this act.
(b) [If] Except as provided in subsection (c) of section 1 of this act, if such dog or other animal is not claimed by and released to the owner within seven days after the date of publication, the municipal animal control officer, upon finding such dog or other animal to be in satisfactory health, may have a licensed veterinarian spay or neuter such dog and sell such dog or other animal to any person who satisfies such officer that he is purchasing it as a pet and that he can give it a good home and proper care. The municipal animal control officer may retain possession of such dog or other animal for such additional period of time as he may deem advisable in order to place such dog or other animal as a pet and may have a licensed veterinarian spay or neuter such dog. If, within such period, any dog or other animal is not claimed by and released to the owner or keeper or purchased as a pet, the officer shall cause such dog or other animal to be mercifully killed by a licensed veterinarian or disposed of as the State Veterinarian may direct. Any veterinarian who so destroys a dog shall be paid from the dog fund account. No person who so destroys a dog or other animal shall be held criminally or civilly liable therefor nor shall any licensed veterinarian who spays or neuters a dog pursuant to this section be held civilly liable, including, but not limited to, liability for reconstructive neutical implantation surgery.
(c) The town treasurer or other fiscal officer shall pay from the dog fund account the advertising expense incurred under the provisions of this section upon receipt of an itemized statement together with a copy of the advertisement as published. Any person who purchases a dog as a pet shall pay a fee of five dollars and procure a license and tag for such dog from the town clerk, in accordance with the provisions of section 22-338.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2011 New section
Sec. 2 October 1, 2011 22-332
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1
October 1, 2011
New section
Sec. 2
October 1, 2011
22-332
PD Joint Favorable Subst.
PD
Joint Favorable Subst.