General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 6303
January Session, 2011 *_____HB06303ENV___041111____*
General Assembly
Substitute Bill No. 6303
January Session, 2011
*_____HB06303ENV___041111____*
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) Any regional or municipal dog pound facility may enter into a contract with one or more public or private nonprofit animal rescue organizations for the payment by such animal rescue organization of the costs for providing treatment by a licensed veterinarian to an injured, sick or diseased animal that is impounded at such regional or municipal dog pound facility. Such contract shall provide that: (1) No costs associated with the provision of such treatment shall accrue to the municipality as a result of such contract, (2) the selection of the licensed veterinarian to provide such treatment shall be made by the public or private nonprofit animal rescue organization that will be responsible for the remittance of payment to such licensed veterinarian who provides such treatment, (3) the determination of whether an animal is injured, sick or diseased and in need of veterinary treatment shall be made by a regional or municipal animal control officer who has custody of such animal, provided if any employee or volunteer of such regional or municipal dog pound facility notifies such animal control officer that an animal is injured, sick or diseased and in need of such veterinary treatment such animal control officer shall contact such public or private nonprofit animal rescue organization to arrange for the treatment of such animal by a licensed veterinarian, and (4) not later than twenty-four hours after receipt of a request from such municipal or regional dog pound facility that such public or private nonprofit animal rescue organization arrange for the provision of such treatment to an injured, sick or diseased animal impounded at such facility, such animal rescue organization shall select a licensed veterinarian to provide such treatment and take custody or control of such animal, as applicable, for the purpose of having such licensed veterinarian provide immediate treatment to such injured, sick or diseased animal.
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 Section 22-332 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2011):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 (A) 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 (B) 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 a public or private nonprofit animal rescue organization and request that such organization post such information at such organization's expense.
(b) 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.
(d) No regional or municipal dog pound facility, municipality, regional or municipal animal control officer or public or private nonprofit animal rescue organization that arranges for the provision of treatment by a licensed veterinarian to an injured, sick or diseased animal pursuant to a contract described in section 1 of this act shall be held criminally or civilly liable, as applicable, for such actions. No licensed veterinarian who provides treatment to an injured, sick or diseased animal as a direct result of a contract described in section 1 of this act shall be held civilly liable for the provision of such treatment.
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
ENV Joint Favorable Subst.
ENV
Joint Favorable Subst.