LCO No. 4315 1 of 3
General Assembly Committee Bill No. 5362
January Session, 2019
LCO No. 4315
Referred to Committee on PUBLIC SAFETY AND SECURITY
Introduced by:
(PS)
AN ACT INCREASING THE PENALTY FOR THE INTENTIONAL
INJURY OF A POLICE ANIMAL OR DOG IN A VOLUNTEER CANINE
SEARCH AND RESCUE TE AM.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 53-247 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2019): 2
(a) Any person who overdrives, drives when overloaded, 3
overworks, tortures, deprives of necessary sustenance, mutilates or 4
cruelly beats or kills or unjustifiably injures any animal, or who, 5
having impounded or confined any animal, fails to give such animal 6
proper care or neglects to cage or restrain any such animal from doing 7
injury to itself or to another animal or fails to supply any such animal 8
with wholesome air, food and water, or unjustifiably administers any 9
poisonous or noxious drug or substance to any domestic animal or 10
unjustifiably exposes any such drug or substance, with intent that the 11
same shall be taken by an animal, or causes it to be done, or, having 12
charge or custody of any animal, inflicts cruelty upon it or fails to 13
provide it with proper food, drink or protection from the weather or 14
abandons it or carries it or causes it to be carried in a cruel manner, or 15
Committee Bill No. 5362
LCO No. 4315 2 of 3
fights with or baits, harasses or worries any animal for the purpose of 16
making it perform for amusement, diversion or exhibition, shall, for a 17
first offense, be fined not more than one thousand dollars or 18
imprisoned not more than one year or both, and for each subsequent 19
offense, shall be guilty of a class D felony. 20
(b) Any person who maliciously and intentionally maims, mutilates, 21
tortures, wounds or kills an animal shall, (1) for a first offense, be 22
guilty of a class D felony, and (2) for any subsequent offense, be guilty 23
of a class C felony. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to 24
any licensed veterinarian while following accepted standards of 25
practice of the profession or to any person while following approved 26
methods of slaughter under section 22-272a, while performing medical 27
research as an employee of, student in or person associated with any 28
hospital, educational institution or laboratory, while following 29
generally accepted agricultural practices or while lawfully engaged in 30
the taking of wildlife. 31
(c) Any person who knowingly (1) owns, possesses, keeps or trains 32
an animal engaged in an exhibition of fighting for amusement or gain, 33
(2) possesses, keeps or trains an animal with the intent that it be 34
engaged in an exhibition of fighting for amusement or gain, (3) permits 35
an act described in subdivision (1) or (2) of this subsection to take place 36
on premises under his control, (4) acts as judge or spectator at an 37
exhibition of animal fighting for amusement or gain, or (5) bets or 38
wagers on the outcome of an exhibition of animal fighting for 39
amusement or gain, shall be guilty of a class D felony. 40
(d) Any person who intentionally injures or kills any animal while 41
such animal is in the performance of its duties under the supervision 42
of a peace officer, as defined in section 53a-3, or intentionally injures or 43
kills a dog that is a member of a volunteer canine search and rescue 44
team, as defined in section 5-249, while such dog is in the performance 45
of its duties under the supervision of the active individual member of 46
such team, shall be guilty of a class [D] C felony. 47
Committee Bill No. 5362
LCO No. 4315 3 of 3
[(e) Any person who intentionally kills any animal while such 48
animal is in the performance of its duties under the supervision of a 49
peace officer, as defined in section 53a-3, or intentionally kills a dog 50
that is a member of a volunteer canine search and rescue team, as 51
defined in section 5-249, while such dog is in the performance of its 52
duties under the supervision of the active individual member of such 53
team, shall be fined not more than ten thousand dollars or imprisoned 54
not more than ten years, or both.] 55
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2019 53-247
Statement of Purpose:
To increase the penalty for intentionally injuring a police animal or
dog in a volunteer canine search and rescue team.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline,
except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is
not underlined.]
Co-Sponsors: REP. POLLETTA, 68th Dist.; SEN. BERTHEL, 32nd Dist.
REP. CAMILLO, 151st Dist.
H.B. 5362