| 24 | | - | Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2025) (a) Notwithstanding any 1 |
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| 25 | | - | provision of title 54 of the general statutes, no animal seized as a result 2 |
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| 26 | | - | of a court order shall be held in a municipal animal shelter or dog pound 3 |
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| 27 | | - | for a period of more than ninety days without the engagement by such 4 |
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| 28 | | - | shelter or pound of an animal rescue organization that offers and agrees 5 |
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| 29 | | - | to provide temporary in-home fostering of such animal and that is 6 |
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| 30 | | - | approved for such purpose by the Department of Agriculture. The 7 |
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| 31 | | - | Department of Agriculture may retain a list of such approved animal 8 |
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| 32 | | - | rescue organizations and may establish criteria and application 9 |
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| 33 | | - | procedures for any such approval. 10 |
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| 34 | | - | (b) No municipal animal shelter or dog pound shall refuse to accept 11 |
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| 35 | | - | volunteer assistance from such an approved animal rescue organization 12 |
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| 36 | | - | in furtherance of the purposes of this section. Any such municipal 13 |
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| 37 | | - | animal shelter or dog pound shall authorize representatives of such an 14 |
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| 38 | | - | approved animal rescue organization to assist with the care of any such 15 |
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| 39 | | - | seized animals and, prior to the engagement requirements of subsection 16 |
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| 40 | | - | Committee Bill No. 6226 |
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| 41 | | - | |
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| 42 | | - | |
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| 43 | | - | LCO No. 6054 2 of 2 |
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| 44 | | - | |
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| 45 | | - | (a) of this section, allow such representatives to visually inspect the 17 |
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| 46 | | - | municipal facility where any such seized animal is housed. 18 |
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| 47 | | - | This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following |
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| 48 | | - | sections: |
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| 49 | | - | |
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| 50 | | - | Section 1 October 1, 2025 New section |
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| 51 | | - | |
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| 23 | + | That the general statutes be amended to: (1) Limit the amount of time 1 |
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| 24 | + | seized animals can be held in a shelter or municipal pound to not more 2 |
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| 25 | + | than ninety days before the regional or municipal animal shelter is 3 |
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| 26 | + | required to engage an accredited animal rescue organization that offers 4 |
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| 27 | + | temporary in-home fostering of animals; (2) allow animal shelters to 5 |
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| 28 | + | accept volunteer help in facilities, even when animals seized by statute 6 |
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| 29 | + | are residing in the shelter; (3) prohibit any outright bans on volunteers 7 |
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| 30 | + | in municipal or regional shelters; and (4) allow for the reasonable visual 8 |
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| 31 | + | inspection of facilities and such animals in custody by members of the 9 |
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| 32 | + | public. 10 |
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| 53 | | - | To ensure animals seized as a result of a court order are offered |
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| 54 | | - | reasonable care, a safe temporary foster home by an accredited rescue |
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| 55 | | - | organization and allow volunteers to help care for animals while they |
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| 56 | | - | are awaiting legal disposition. |
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| 57 | | - | |
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| 58 | | - | [Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except |
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| 59 | | - | that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not |
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| 60 | | - | underlined.] |
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| 61 | | - | |
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| 62 | | - | Co-Sponsors: REP. LINEHAN, 103rd Dist. |
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| 63 | | - | |
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| 64 | | - | H.B. 6226 |
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| 65 | | - | |
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| 66 | | - | |
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| 34 | + | To ensure animals seized by statute are offered reasonable care, a safe |
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| 35 | + | temporary foster home by an accredited rescue organization and allow |
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| 36 | + | volunteers to help care for animals while they are awaiting legal |
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| 37 | + | disposition. |
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