| 25 | | - | Section 1. Section 53-247 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1 |
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| 26 | | - | following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2019): 2 |
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| 27 | | - | (a) Any person who overdrives, drives when overloaded, 3 |
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| 28 | | - | overworks, tortures, deprives of necessary sustenance, mutilates or 4 |
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| 29 | | - | cruelly beats or kills or unjustifiably injures any animal, or who, 5 |
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| 30 | | - | having impounded or confined any animal, fails to give such animal 6 |
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| 31 | | - | proper care or neglects to cage or restrain any such animal from doing 7 |
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| 32 | | - | injury to itself or to another animal or fails to supply any such animal 8 |
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| 33 | | - | with wholesome air, food and water, or unjustifiably administers any 9 |
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| 34 | | - | poisonous or noxious drug or substance to any domestic animal or 10 |
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| 35 | | - | unjustifiably exposes any such drug or substance, with intent that the 11 |
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| 36 | | - | same shall be taken by an animal, or causes it to be done, or, having 12 |
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| 37 | | - | charge or custody of any animal, inflicts cruelty upon it or fails to 13 |
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| 38 | | - | provide it with proper food, drink or protection from the weather or 14 |
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| 39 | | - | abandons it or carries it or causes it to be carried in a cruel manner, or 15 |
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| 40 | | - | Committee Bill No. 5362 |
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| 41 | | - | |
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| 42 | | - | |
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| 43 | | - | LCO No. 4315 2 of 3 |
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| 44 | | - | |
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| 45 | | - | fights with or baits, harasses or worries any animal for the purpose of 16 |
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| 46 | | - | making it perform for amusement, diversion or exhibition, shall, for a 17 |
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| 47 | | - | first offense, be fined not more than one thousand dollars or 18 |
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| 48 | | - | imprisoned not more than one year or both, and for each subsequent 19 |
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| 49 | | - | offense, shall be guilty of a class D felony. 20 |
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| 50 | | - | (b) Any person who maliciously and intentionally maims, mutilates, 21 |
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| 51 | | - | tortures, wounds or kills an animal shall, (1) for a first offense, be 22 |
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| 52 | | - | guilty of a class D felony, and (2) for any subsequent offense, be guilty 23 |
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| 53 | | - | of a class C felony. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to 24 |
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| 54 | | - | any licensed veterinarian while following accepted standards of 25 |
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| 55 | | - | practice of the profession or to any person while following approved 26 |
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| 56 | | - | methods of slaughter under section 22-272a, while performing medical 27 |
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| 57 | | - | research as an employee of, student in or person associated with any 28 |
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| 58 | | - | hospital, educational institution or laboratory, while following 29 |
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| 59 | | - | generally accepted agricultural practices or while lawfully engaged in 30 |
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| 60 | | - | the taking of wildlife. 31 |
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| 61 | | - | (c) Any person who knowingly (1) owns, possesses, keeps or trains 32 |
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| 62 | | - | an animal engaged in an exhibition of fighting for amusement or gain, 33 |
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| 63 | | - | (2) possesses, keeps or trains an animal with the intent that it be 34 |
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| 64 | | - | engaged in an exhibition of fighting for amusement or gain, (3) permits 35 |
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| 65 | | - | an act described in subdivision (1) or (2) of this subsection to take place 36 |
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| 66 | | - | on premises under his control, (4) acts as judge or spectator at an 37 |
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| 67 | | - | exhibition of animal fighting for amusement or gain, or (5) bets or 38 |
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| 68 | | - | wagers on the outcome of an exhibition of animal fighting for 39 |
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| 69 | | - | amusement or gain, shall be guilty of a class D felony. 40 |
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| 70 | | - | (d) Any person who intentionally injures or kills any animal while 41 |
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| 71 | | - | such animal is in the performance of its duties under the supervision 42 |
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| 72 | | - | of a peace officer, as defined in section 53a-3, or intentionally injures or 43 |
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| 73 | | - | kills a dog that is a member of a volunteer canine search and rescue 44 |
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| 74 | | - | team, as defined in section 5-249, while such dog is in the performance 45 |
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| 75 | | - | of its duties under the supervision of the active individual member of 46 |
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| 76 | | - | such team, shall be guilty of a class [D] C felony. 47 |
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| 77 | | - | Committee Bill No. 5362 |
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| 78 | | - | |
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| 79 | | - | |
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| 80 | | - | LCO No. 4315 3 of 3 |
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| 81 | | - | |
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| 82 | | - | [(e) Any person who intentionally kills any animal while such 48 |
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| 83 | | - | animal is in the performance of its duties under the supervision of a 49 |
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| 84 | | - | peace officer, as defined in section 53a-3, or intentionally kills a dog 50 |
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| 85 | | - | that is a member of a volunteer canine search and rescue team, as 51 |
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| 86 | | - | defined in section 5-249, while such dog is in the performance of its 52 |
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| 87 | | - | duties under the supervision of the active individual member of such 53 |
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| 88 | | - | team, shall be fined not more than ten thousand dollars or imprisoned 54 |
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| 89 | | - | not more than ten years, or both.] 55 |
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| 90 | | - | This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following |
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| 91 | | - | sections: |
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| 92 | | - | |
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| 93 | | - | Section 1 October 1, 2019 53-247 |
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| 94 | | - | |
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| 23 | + | That subsections (d) and (e) of section 53-247 of the general statutes 1 |
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| 24 | + | be amended to increase the penalties for the intentional injury or 2 |
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| 25 | + | killing of police animals or dogs in volunteer canine search and rescue 3 |
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| 26 | + | teams. 4 |
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