Substitute House Bill No. 7297
Public Act No. 19-197
AN ACT CONCERNING QU ARANTINE AND DISPOSA L ORDERS
OF ANIMAL CONTROL OF FICERS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 22-358 of the general statutes is repealed and the
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2019):
(a) Any owner or the agent of any owner of any domestic animal or
poultry, or the Chief Animal Control Officer, any animal control
officer, any municipal animal control officer, any regional animal
control officer or any police officer or state policeman, may kill any
dog which he observes pursuing or worrying any such domestic
animal or poultry.
(b) Any person who is bitten, or who shows visible evidence of
attack by a dog, cat or other animal when such person is not upon the
premises of the owner or keeper of such dog, cat or other animal may
kill such dog, cat or other animal during such attack. Such person shall
make complaint concerning the circumstances of the attack to the Chief
Animal Control Officer, any animal control officer or the municipal
animal control officer or regional animal control officer of the town
wherein such dog, cat or other animal is owned or kept. Any such
officer to whom such complaint is made shall immediately make an Substitute House Bill No. 7297
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investigation of such complaint.
(c) [If such officer finds that the complainant has been bitten or
attacked by such dog, cat or other animal when the complainant was
not upon the premises of the owner or keeper of such dog, cat or other
animal the officer shall quarantine such dog, cat or other animal in a
public pound or order the owner or keeper to quarantine it in a
veterinary hospital, kennel or other building or enclosure approved by
the commissioner for such purpose. When any dog, cat or other animal
has bitten a person on the premises of the owner or keeper of such
dog, cat or other animal, the Chief Animal Control Officer, any animal
control officer, any municipal animal control officer or any regional
animal control officer may quarantine such dog, cat or other animal on
the premises of the owner or keeper of such dog, cat or other animal.]
The commissioner, the Chief Animal Control Officer, any animal
control officer, any municipal animal control officer or any regional
animal control officer may make any order concerning the restraint or
disposal of any biting dog, cat or other animal as the commissioner or
such officer deems necessary. Notice of any such order shall be given
to the person bitten by such dog, cat or other animal within twenty-
four hours. The owner of such animal shall pay all fees as set forth in
section 22-333. [On the fourteenth day of such quarantine the dog, cat
or other animal shall be examined by the commissioner or someone
designated by the commissioner to determine whether such quarantine
shall be continued or removed. Whenever any quarantine is ordered
under the provisions of this section, notice thereof shall be given to the
commissioner and to the person bitten or attacked by such dog, cat or
other animal within twenty-four hours.] Any owner or keeper of such
dog, cat or other animal who fails to comply with such order shall be
guilty of a class D misdemeanor. If an owner or keeper fails to comply
with a [quarantine or] restraining order made pursuant to this
subsection, the Chief Animal Control Officer, any animal control
officer, any municipal animal control officer or any regional animal Substitute House Bill No. 7297
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control officer may seize the dog, cat or other animal to ensure such
compliance and the owner or keeper shall be responsible for any
expenses resulting from such seizure. Any person aggrieved by an
order of any municipal animal control officer, the Chief Animal
Control Officer, any animal control officer or any regional animal
control officer may request a hearing before the commissioner within
fourteen days of the issuance of such order. Any order issued pursuant
to this section that requires the restraint of an animal shall be effective
upon its issuance and shall remain in effect during any appeal of such
order to the commissioner. After such hearing, the commissioner may
affirm, modify or revoke such order as the commissioner deems
proper. Any dog owned by a police agency of the state or any of its
political subdivisions is exempt from the provisions of this subsection
when such dog is under the direct supervision, care and control of an
assigned police officer, is currently vaccinated and is subject to routine
veterinary care. Any guide dog owned or in the custody and control of
a blind person or a person with a mobility impairment is exempt from
the provisions of this subsection when such guide dog is under the
direct supervision, care and control of such person, is currently
vaccinated and is subject to routine veterinary care.
(d) Any dog, while actually worrying or pursuing deer, may be
killed by the Chief Animal Control Officer or an animal control officer
or by a conservation officer or special conservation officer appointed
by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, or by
any police officer or state policeman. The owner or keeper of any dog
found worrying or pursuing a deer shall be guilty of a class D
misdemeanor.
(e) Any person who kills any dog, cat or other animal in accordance
with the provisions of this section shall not be held criminally or civilly
liable therefor.
(f) [The owner of any dog, cat or other animal which has bitten or Substitute House Bill No. 7297
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attacked a person and has been quarantined pursuant to subsection (c)
of this section may authorize the humane euthanization of such dog,
cat or other animal by a licensed veterinarian at any time before the
end of the fourteenth day of such quarantine. Any such dog, cat or
other animal so euthanized before the end of the fourteenth day of
quarantine shall be examined for rabies by the Connecticut
Department of Public Health virology laboratory or any other
laboratory authorized by the Department of Public Health to perform
rabies examinations. The veterinarian performing the euthanasia shall
be responsible for ensuring that the head of the euthanized animal is
delivered by him or his designated agent within forty-eight hours to an
appropriate laboratory designated by said department for rabies
examination.] Repealed.
(g) Repealed by P.A. 05-175, S. 24.
(h) A person who sustains damage by a dog to such person's
poultry, ratite, domestic rabbit, companion animal or livestock as
defined in section 22-278 shall make complaint concerning
circumstances of the attack by such dog on any such animal or
livestock to the Chief Animal Control Officer, any animal control
officer or the municipal animal control officer or regional animal
control officer of the town in which such dog is owned or kept. An
officer to whom such complaint is made shall immediately investigate
such complaint. If such officer finds that the complainant's animal has
been bitten or attacked by a dog when the attacked animal was not on
the premises of the owner or keeper of the attacking dog and provided
the complainant's animal was under the control of the complainant or
on the complainant's property, such officer, the commissioner, the
Chief Animal Control Officer or any animal control officer may make
any order concerning the restraint or disposal of such attacking dog as
the commissioner or such officer deems necessary. An owner or keeper
of such dog who fails to comply with such order shall be guilty of a Substitute House Bill No. 7297
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class D misdemeanor. If the owner or keeper of such dog fails to
comply with an order made pursuant to this subsection, the Chief
Animal Control Officer or any animal control officer, municipal animal
control officer or regional animal control officer may seize the dog to
ensure such compliance, and the owner or keeper of such dog shall be
responsible for any expenses resulting from such seizure. A person
aggrieved by an order of the Chief Animal Control Officer or any
animal control officer, municipal animal control officer or regional
animal control officer made pursuant to this subsection may request a
hearing before the commissioner not later than fourteen days after the
issuance of such order. After such hearing, the commissioner may
affirm, modify or revoke such order as the commissioner deems
proper. A dog owned by a police agency of the state or any of its
political subdivisions is exempt from the provisions of this section
when such dog is under the direct supervision, care and control of an
assigned police officer, has been vaccinated annually and is subject to
routine veterinary care.
Sec. 2. Subsection (a) of section 22-359 of the general statutes is
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July
1, 2019):
(a) The commissioner may make such orders for the adequate
confinement, control or destruction of any dog, cat or other animal as
he deems necessary to prevent the spread of rabies and to protect the
public therefrom provided, notwithstanding the provisions of section
22-358, as amended by this act, a local director of health may order the
destruction of any unowned animal which is not currently vaccinated
for rabies for the purpose of rabies testing if the director finds that the
animal has bitten a person and the health or life of such person may be
threatened. Any person who fails to comply with any order made
under the provisions of this section shall be fined not more than one
hundred dollars. The commissioner, the Chief Animal Control Officer, Substitute House Bill No. 7297
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any animal control officer or any municipal animal control officer
[may] shall quarantine any animal in a public pound, veterinary
hospital, kennel or other building or enclosure approved by the
commissioner for such purpose, if in the determination of the
commissioner or such officer, such animal is rabid or is suspected of
being rabid, or has been bitten by, or may have been bitten by, or has
been in contact with or exposed to, a rabid animal or an animal
suspected of carrying rabies or any wild animal as defined in
subsection (d) of this section. The length of such quarantine period
shall be determined by the commissioner or the State Veterinarian who
shall take into account the age, general health and vaccination history
of the animal as well as current accepted veterinary practices. Any
suspected or confirmed case of rabies shall be reported to the
commissioner by a local director of health or board of health or any
veterinarian within twenty-four hours of receipt of such information.
Whenever a person, companion animal or other animal has been bitten
or attacked by a dog, cat or ferret, any state, municipal or regional
animal control officer shall quarantine such biting or attacking dog, cat
or ferret for ten days. During such quarantine such biting or attacking
dog, cat or ferret shall be observed for clinical signs of rabies. On the
tenth day of such quarantine, such dog, cat or ferret shall be examined
by the State Veterinarian or a person designated by the State
Veterinarian to determine whether such quarantine shall be continued
or removed. The quarantine of a biting or attacking dog, cat or ferret
shall conform to one of the following: (1) When the biting or attacking
dog, cat or ferret has a current rabies vaccination, the biting or
attacking dog, cat or ferret shall be quarantined in a public pound or in
a veterinary hospital or in a commercial kennel approved by the State
Veterinarian for such purpose or on the premises of the owner or
keeper of such biting dog, cat or ferret when such premises is adequate
for the confinement of such animal, as determined by the authority
that issued such order; or (2) when the biting or attacking dog, cat or
ferret does not have a current rabies vaccination, the biting or attacking Substitute House Bill No. 7297
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dog, cat or ferret shall be quarantined in a public pound or in a
veterinary hospital or in a commercial kennel approved by the State
Veterinarian for such purpose, or the dog, cat or ferret may be
quarantined or confined on the premises of the owner or keeper of the
biting or attacking dog, cat or ferret due to medical necessity
determined by a licensed veterinarian when such premises is adequate
for the confinement of such animal and acceptable to the municipality
or agency issuing the quarantine order and provided such animal is
vaccinated for rabies by a licensed veterinarian on the tenth day of
such quarantine. The management, confinement, quarantine or
disposition of biting or attacking animals other than dogs, cats or
ferrets shall be determined by the State Veterinarian who shall take
into account the age, general health, rabies vaccination status of the
biting or attacking animal and current national recommendations for
the prevention and control of rabies. The owner or keeper of any
animal that has been quarantined or confined pursuant to this section
may authorize the humane euthanasia of such animal by a licensed
veterinarian at any time before the end of the quarantine or
confinement period for the purpose of testing such animal for rabies.
Any animal so euthanized shall be examined for rabies by the
Connecticut Department of Public Health virology laboratory or any
laboratory authorized by the Connecticut Department of Public
Health. The veterinarian performing the euthanasia shall be
responsible for ensuring that the head of the euthanized animal is
delivered to the appropriate laboratory for rabies examination not later
than forty-eight hours after such euthanasia. The costs of any such
quarantine, veterinary examination, rabies vaccination, euthanasia and
rabies testing shall be the responsibility of the owner or keeper of any
animal quarantined or confined pursuant to this section.