LCO No. 4637 1 of 8
General Assembly Committee Bill No. 6016
January Session, 2019
LCO No. 4637
Referred to Committee on ENVIRONMENT
Introduced by:
(ENV)
AN ACT REQUIRING MUN ICIPAL ANIMAL CONTROL FACIL ITIES TO
COMPLY WITH DEPARTME NT OF AGRICULTURE SA NITATION AND
HUMANE TREATMENT REG ULATIONS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 22-344 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2019): 2
(a) (1) No person shall maintain a commercial kennel until he has 3
obtained from the commissioner a license to maintain such kennel 4
under such regulations as the commissioner provides as to sanitation, 5
disease and humane treatment of dogs or cats and the protection of the 6
public safety. Upon written application and the payment of a fee of 7
four hundred dollars, the commissioner shall issue such license to be 8
effective until the second December thirty-first following issuance 9
provided the commissioner finds (A) that such regulations have been 10
complied with, and (B) in the case of each initial application for such 11
license, that the zoning enforcement official of the municipality 12
wherein such kennel is to be maintained has certified that the kennel 13
conforms to the municipal zoning regulations. Such license shall be 14
renewed biennially, not later than December thirty-first, in accordance 15
Committee Bill No. 6016
LCO No. 4637 2 of 8
with the provisions of this section, and may be transferred by the 16
licensee to another premises upon approval of the commissioner. 17
(2) Any person who maintains a commercial kennel and who 18
advertises the services of such commercial kennel shall cause the 19
license number for such commercial kennel, as issued pursuant to this 20
section, to clearly appear in such advertisement. The commissioner 21
may adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, to prescribe the 22
requirements for the appearance of the license number of a commercial 23
kennel in any form of advertisement. Such regulation may include, but 24
need not be limited to, the size, font and location of such license 25
number for any given form of advertisement. 26
(b) No person shall maintain a pet shop until he has obtained from 27
the commissioner a license to maintain such pet shop under such 28
regulations as the commissioner provides as to sanitation, disease and 29
humane treatment of animals and the protection of the public safety. 30
Upon written application and the payment of a fee of four hundred 31
dollars, the commissioner shall issue such license to be effective until 32
the second December thirty-first following issuance provided the 33
commissioner finds (1) that such regulations have been complied with, 34
and (2) in the case of each initial application for such license, that the 35
zoning enforcement official of the municipality wherein such pet shop 36
is to be maintained has certified that the pet shop conforms to the 37
municipal zoning regulations. Application for renewal of such license 38
shall be made biennially by not later than the second December thirty-39
first following issuance. Such pet shop license may be transferred by 40
the licensee to another premises upon the approval of the 41
commissioner. The commissioner, after consultation with the 42
Commissioners of Public Health and Energy and Environmental 43
Protection, shall establish and maintain, pursuant to regulations 44
adopted in accordance with chapter 54, a list of animals which are 45
deemed to be injurious to the health and safety of the public or whose 46
maintenance in captivity is detrimental to the health and safety of the 47
animal. The sale or offer of sale of any animal which is on said list is 48
Committee Bill No. 6016
LCO No. 4637 3 of 8
prohibited and any person who violates this provision shall be fined 49
not more than five hundred dollars. 50
(c) No person shall engage in the business of grooming or 51
maintaining a grooming facility until such person has obtained from 52
the commissioner a license to maintain such facility under such 53
regulations as the commissioner provides as to sanitation, disease and 54
humane treatment of such animals and the protection of the public 55
safety. Upon written application and the payment of a fee of two 56
hundred dollars, the commissioner shall issue such license to be 57
effective until the second December thirty-first following issuance 58
provided the commissioner finds (1) that such regulations have been 59
complied with, and (2) in the case of each initial application for such 60
license, that the zoning enforcement official of the municipality 61
wherein such grooming is to be maintained has certified that the 62
facility conforms to the municipal zoning regulations. Such license 63
shall be renewed biennially, not later than the second December thirty-64
first following issuance, in accordance with the provisions of this 65
section, and may be transferred by the licensee to other premises upon 66
approval of the commissioner. 67
(d) No person shall maintain a training facility until such person has 68
obtained from the commissioner a license to maintain such facility 69
under such regulations as the commissioner provides as to sanitation, 70
disease and humane treatment of such animals and the protection of 71
public safety. Upon written application and the payment of a fee of 72
two hundred dollars, the commissioner shall issue such license to be 73
effective until the second December thirty-first following issuance 74
provided the commissioner finds (1) that such regulations have been 75
complied with, and (2) in the case of each initial application for such 76
license, that the zoning enforcement official of the municipality 77
wherein such training facility is to be maintained has certified that the 78
facility conforms to the municipal zoning regulations. Such license 79
shall be renewed biennially not later than the second December thirty-80
first following issuance upon the terms required for the original license 81
Committee Bill No. 6016
LCO No. 4637 4 of 8
and may be transferred by the licensee to another premises upon 82
approval of the commissioner. 83
(e) (1) No animal importer shall import any dog or cat into this state 84
until such person registers as an animal importer with the 85
commissioner. Such registration shall be on a form as prescribed by the 86
commissioner. Such registration shall require the submission of the 87
following information: (A) The name, mailing address, business 88
address, telephone number and Internet address of such registrant, (B) 89
if such registrant is domiciled out-of-state, the name, Connecticut 90
address and phone number of a Connecticut-based agent for service of 91
process, and (C) the number of animals brought into the state during 92
the prior year by such animal importer and the state or country of 93
origin for each such animal. Such registration shall be accompanied by 94
payment of a fee of two hundred dollars and shall be valid until the 95
second December thirty-first following such registration. Such 96
registration shall be renewed biennially not later than the second 97
December thirty-first following issuance, in accordance with the 98
provisions of this subsection, provided the commissioner determines 99
that such registrant complies with any requirements provided by the 100
commissioner as to the health, safety and humane treatment of animals 101
that is applicable to animal importers. Such registration shall not be 102
required for any employee or volunteer of a registered animal 103
importer or other person who is required to be licensed pursuant to the 104
provisions of this chapter, provided such employee, volunteer or other 105
person is not otherwise an animal importer. Any person who violates 106
the provisions of this subdivision shall be fined not more than five 107
hundred dollars. 108
(2) Any animal importer who intends to offer for sale, adoption or 109
transfer any dog or cat at a venue or location that is open to the public 110
or at an outdoor location, including, but not limited to, a parking lot or 111
shopping center, shall provide notice to the Department of Agriculture 112
and the municipal zoning enforcement officer of the town where any 113
such sale, adoption or transfer will occur, not later than ten days prior 114
Committee Bill No. 6016
LCO No. 4637 5 of 8
to such event. Such notice shall state the date for such sale, adoption or 115
transfer event, the exact location of such event and the anticipated 116
number of animals for sale, adoption or transfer at such event. Any 117
person who fails to provide notice as required pursuant to this 118
subdivision shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars per 119
animal that is offered for sale, adoption or transfer at such event. 120
(3) For the purpose of this subsection, "animal importer" means a 121
person who brings any dog or cat into this state from any other 122
sovereign entity for the purpose of offering such dog or cat to any 123
person for sale, adoption or transfer in exchange for any fee, sale, 124
voluntary contribution, service or any other consideration. "Animal 125
importer" includes any commercial or nonprofit animal rescue or 126
adoption, humane relocation or delivery organization that is not 127
otherwise required to be licensed under the provisions of this chapter. 128
(4) The provisions of this subsection shall not be construed to apply 129
to any animal importer who offers a dog or cat for sale to a pet shop 130
that is licensed in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of 131
this section, provided such animal is delivered directly to a pet shop. 132
(5) The Commissioner of Agriculture may inspect any animal 133
imported by an animal importer or any record required to be kept by 134
such animal importer, provided such inspection shall not authorize the 135
entry of the commissioner into the residence of such animal importer. 136
(6) Not later than December 31, 2013, the Commissioner of 137
Agriculture shall prescribe the conditions that constitute the humane 138
treatment of animals that are applicable to animal importers. Such 139
conditions shall include, but not be limited to, the appropriate shelter, 140
availability of food and water and standard of care to be provided by 141
an animal importer to such animals. 142
(f) No person or municipality shall operate or maintain an animal 143
shelter or dog pound until [he or she] such person or municipality 144
registers such animal shelter or dog pound with the commissioner to 145
Committee Bill No. 6016
LCO No. 4637 6 of 8
operate and maintain such animal shelter or dog pound under such 146
regulations as the commissioner provides as to sanitation, disease and 147
humane treatment of dogs or cats and the protection of the public 148
safety. Upon written application and payment of a fee of fifty dollars 149
to offset administrative costs of such registrations, the commissioner 150
shall issue such registration to be effective until the second December 151
thirty-first following issuance provided the commissioner finds (A) 152
that such regulations have been complied with, and (B) in the case of 153
each initial application for such registration, that the zoning 154
enforcement official of the municipality wherein such animal shelter or 155
dog pound is to be operated or maintained has certified that the 156
animal shelter or dog pound conforms to the municipal zoning 157
regulations. Such registration shall be renewed biennially, not later 158
than December thirty-first, in accordance with the provisions of this 159
section, and may be transferred by the registrant to another premises 160
upon approval of the commissioner. For purposes of this subsection, 161
"animal shelter or dog pound" means any municipality or private 162
entity that operates a building or facility that is used solely to house 163
homeless animals for the purpose of rescue or adoption and that is not 164
operated within a private residence. 165
(g) The commissioner may, at any time, inspect or cause to be 166
inspected by the commissioner's agents any such commercial kennel, 167
animal shelter or dog pound, pet shop, grooming facility or training 168
facility, and if, (1) in the commissioner's judgment such kennel, shelter 169
or pound, pet shop, grooming facility or training facility is not being 170
maintained in a sanitary and humane manner or in a manner that 171
protects the public safety, (2) the commissioner finds that contagious, 172
infectious or communicable disease or other unsatisfactory conditions 173
exist, or (3) in the case of a pet shop, the commissioner finds any 174
violation of the provisions of section 22a-381d, the commissioner may 175
issue a fine to such commercial kennel, shelter or pound, pet shop, 176
grooming facility or training facility of not more than five hundred 177
dollars for each animal that is the subject of such violation, may issue 178
such orders as the commissioner deems necessary for the correction of 179
Committee Bill No. 6016
LCO No. 4637 7 of 8
such conditions and may quarantine the premises and animals. If the 180
municipality or owner or keeper of such kennel, shelter or pound, pet 181
shop, grooming facility or training facility fails to comply with the 182
regulations or orders of the commissioner, or fails to comply with any 183
provision of the statutes or regulations relating to dogs or other 184
animals, the commissioner may revoke or suspend such license or 185
registration, as applicable. Any municipality or person aggrieved by 186
any order issued under the provisions of this section may appeal 187
therefrom in accordance with the provisions of section 4-183. Any 188
municipality or person maintaining any commercial kennel, animal 189
shelter or pound, pet shop, grooming facility or training facility 190
without having obtained a license or registration for the same, as 191
applicable or after any such license or registration has been revoked or 192
suspended as provided herein shall be fined not more than two 193
hundred dollars. The provisions of this section shall not apply to 194
veterinary hospitals, except those boarding or grooming dogs for 195
nonmedical purposes, and other establishments where all the dogs or 196
animals were born and raised on the premises where they are kept for 197
sale. 198
(h) The provisions of subsections (a) to (d), inclusive, of this section 199
requiring certification by the zoning enforcement official that every 200
commercial kennel, pet shop, grooming facility and training facility 201
conforms to the zoning regulations of the municipality wherein such 202
kennel, pet shop, grooming facility or training facility is maintained 203
shall not apply to any person who is licensed under said subsections 204
and maintained any such kennel, pet shop or grooming facility prior to 205
October 1, 1977, provided such person does not relocate such kennel, 206
pet shop, grooming facility or training facility in a zone in which such 207
kennel, pet shop, grooming facility or training facility is not a 208
permitted use. In addition, the provisions of said subsections and 209
subsection (f) requiring certification by the zoning enforcement official 210
that every commercial kennel, animal shelter or pound, pet shop, 211
grooming facility and training facility conforms to the zoning 212
regulations of the municipality wherein such kennel, shelter or pound, 213
Committee Bill No. 6016
LCO No. 4637 8 of 8
pet shop, grooming facility or training facility is maintained shall not 214
apply when a zone in which such kennel, shelter or pound, pet shop, 215
grooming facility or training facility is maintained is changed to a use 216
which does not permit such kennel, shelter or pound, pet shop, 217
grooming facility or training facility in such zone. 218
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2019 22-344
Statement of Purpose:
To require municipal shelters and dog pounds to abide by the same
standards as other registered animal facilities.
[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. TURCO, 27th Dist.; REP. WINKLER, 56th Dist.
REP. ARNONE, 58th Dist.
H.B. 6016