Title 22 — Title 22: Agriculture. Domestic Animals

Sec. 22-327. Definitions. As used in this chapter: (1) “Animal” means any brute creature, including, but not limited to, dogs, cats, monkeys, guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, birds and reptiles; (2) “Chief Animal Control Officer”, “Assistant Chief Animal Control Officer” and “anim…

Sec. 22-328. Enforcement. Animal control officers. Expenses. Training of animal control officers. Reimbursement. Training program curriculum. Issuance of certificate. Continuing education requirement. (a) The commissioner is authorized to enforce the provisions of this chapter an…

Sec. 22-329. Prevention of cruelty to dogs and other animals. Any animal control officer or regional animal control officer appointed pursuant to section 22-328, 22-331 or 22-331a, as applicable, or any law enforcement officer may interfere to prevent any act of cruelty upon any …

Sec. 22-329a. Seizure and custody of neglected or cruelly treated animals. Vesting of ownership of animal. Animal abuse cost recovery account. (a) Any animal control officer or regional animal control officer appointed pursuant to section 22-328, 22-331 or 22-331a, as applicable,…

Sec. 22-329b. Reporting of neglected or cruelly treated animals. (a) Any animal control officer appointed pursuant to section 22-328, 22-331 or 22-331a who (1) has reasonable cause to suspect that an animal observed in the course of the officer's employment is being or has been h…

Sec. 22-329c. Law enforcement officer's or animal control officer's authority to take possession of sexually assaulted animal. A law enforcement officer or animal control officer authorized under section 22-329a, investigating an alleged violation of section 53a-73b may lawfully …

Sec. 22-330. Authority of officers issuing summons. The commissioner, the Chief Animal Control Officer and any animal control officer in any part of the state, any regional animal control officer in the territory to which he is assigned and any municipal animal control officer in…

Sec. 22-331. Municipal animal control officers. Assistants. (a) In each municipality of the state having a population of more than twenty-five thousand which has adopted the provisions of chapter 113, or otherwise provided for a merit system for its employees, the chief of police…

Sec. 22-331a. Regional animal control officers. Pounds. Any two or more towns each of which has a population of less than fifty thousand, and which have or will provide a dog pound facility within their region, by action of their board of selectmen, town council or other governin…

Sec. 22-332. Impoundment and disposition of roaming, injured or mistreated animals. Authority to spay or neuter unclaimed dog. Liability for provision of veterinary care to injured, sick or diseased impounded animal. (a) Any animal control officer or regional animal control offic…

Sec. 22-332a. Use of dogs for medical research restricted. (a) No person shall procure or use any living dog for medical or biological teaching, research or study except a hospital, educational institution or laboratory licensed for such purpose in accordance with the provisions …

Sec. 22-332b. License for use of dogs. (a) Any hospital, educational institution or laboratory desiring to obtain a license to use living dogs in medical or biological teaching, research or study shall apply to the Commissioner of Public Health, on forms which said commissioner s…

Sec. 22-332c. Penalty. Any person who violates any provision of section 22-332, 22-332a or 22-332b shall be guilty of a class D misdemeanor. (1963, P.A. 14, S. 4; P.A. 12-80, S. 79.) History: P.A. 12-80 replaced penalty of a fine of not more than $100 or imprisonment of not more …

Sec. 22-332d. Impoundment and disposition of certain cats. Authority to spay or neuter unclaimed cat. (a) Any animal control officer for a municipality which has adopted an ordinance under subsection (b) of section 22-339d may take into custody any cat found to be damaging proper…

Sec. 22-332e. Regional or municipal dog pound contract with animal rescue organization for veterinary treatment of injured, sick or diseased animal. Contract requirements. Department of Agriculture complaint. Maintenance of list of animal rescue organizations. (a) Any regional or…

Sec. 22-333. Redemption of impounded dog, cat or other animal. Any dog, cat or other animal captured or impounded under the provisions of this chapter shall be redeemed by the owner or keeper thereof, or the agent of such owner or keeper, upon proper identification, and, if the a…

Sec. 22-334. Municipal animal control officer's fees. On or before the tenth day of each month, each municipal animal control officer shall report their services rendered in the performance of their official duties for the previous month to the Commissioner of Agriculture and the…

Sec. 22-335. Removal of municipal animal control officer. Complaint against municipal animal control officer. Any municipal animal control officer may be removed by the authority that appointed such animal control officer or by the commissioner, and a successor may be appointed b…

Sec. 22-336. Towns to provide pounds or other suitable facilities. Regulations. Enforcement. Inspection report. Each city or town, other than towns participating in a regional dog pound, shall (1) provide and maintain for use as a dog pound a suitable building, which shall be mad…

Sec. 22-336a. Municipal or regional dog pounds. Standards. Enforcement. (a) Each municipal or regional dog pound shall provide mechanical heating and cooling systems of appropriate design and capacity to maintain an indoor ambient temperature of between fifty-five and eighty degr…

Sec. 22-337. Notice of licensing requirements. The selectmen of each town shall, annually, at least thirty days before June thirtieth, post a notice on the signpost in their town, if any, or at some other exterior place near the office of the town clerk, which shall warn that dog…

Sec. 22-338. Licensing of dogs. Fees. Rabies certificate. Exemptions. (a) Each owner or keeper of a dog of the age of six months or older, except dogs kept under a kennel license as provided in section 22-342, shall cause such dog to be licensed in the town clerk's office in the …

Sec. 22-339. Licensing of dogs which are six months of age or older by new owners. Fees. Any person upon becoming the owner or keeper of any unlicensed dog of the age of six months or older shall cause such dog to be licensed within thirty days thereof until the thirtieth day of …

Sec. 22-339a. Town clerks may deputize agents for the issuance of licenses. Licensing of dogs acquired from dog pounds. Fees. Rabies certificate. (a) The town clerk of any town may deputize employees of any dog pound in such town as agents for the issuance of dog licenses and tag…

Sec. 22-339b. Rabies vaccination required for dogs and cats. Exemption from rabies vaccination. Rabies vaccination exemption certificate. Veterinarian appeal. Penalty. (a) Any owner or keeper of a dog or cat shall have such dog or cat vaccinated against rabies. Such vaccination s…

Sec. 22-339c. Certificate of rabies vaccination. (a) A certificate of rabies vaccination shall be (1) a form approved by the National Association of Public Health Veterinarians, (2) any form approved by the State Veterinarian, or (3) any form that has the following information re…

Sec. 22-339d. Municipal control of feral cats. (a) A municipality may adopt an ordinance requiring the registration, within one year of the adoption of such ordinance, of keepers of feral cats in residential or commercial areas. Such ordinance shall require that any such keeper s…

Sec. 22-340. Town clerk to provide licenses and tags. (a) Each person complying with the provisions of section 22-338, 22-339 or 22-342 shall receive from the town clerk a license on a form prescribed by the commissioner, which license shall contain a description of the dog and t…

Sec. 22-341. Tag or plate to be attached to dog collar or harness. Cost. (a) Each owner or keeper of a licensed dog shall keep around its neck or body a collar or harness of leather or other suitable material, to which shall be securely attached a tag or plate issued to such pers…

Sec. 22-342. Local kennel licenses. Certain breeders to be licensed. Inspection of kennel facilities. Penalties. (a) Any owner or keeper of dogs who breeds more than five litters of dogs annually shall apply to the town clerk in the town in which such kennel is located for a loca…

Sec. 22-343. Temporary placing of dog. The holder of any kennel license may place any dog belonging to such kennel in the possession and keeping of any prospective purchaser for not more than thirty days without such keeper or temporary custodian complying with the provisions of …

Sec. 22-344. Licensing of commercial kennel, pet shop, training facility or grooming facility. Advertising by commercial kennels. Registration of animal importer. Fees. Humane treatment of animals. Registration of animal shelters. Inspection. Fines. Conformance to zoning regulati…

Sec. 22-344a. Euthanasia of animals by pet shops. (a) Euthanasia of any warm-blooded animal which was offered for sale by a pet shop and not sold or transferred to another owner shall be by lethal injection of sodium pentobarbitol administered by a veterinarian licensed in this s…

Sec. 22-344b. Pet shop required to have dogs and cats examined by veterinarian. Replacement or refund. Statement of customer rights. Penalty. (a) A pet shop licensee shall, prior to offering a dog or cat for sale and thereafter at intervals of fifteen days until such dog or cat i…

Sec. 22-344c. Licensure of breeding facilities by towns. Standard of care for breeders of cats or dogs. Section 22-344c is repealed, effective June 7, 2023. (P.A. 91-379; P.A. 98-12, S. 14, 22; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146(e); P.A. 04-189, S. 1; P.A. 07-217, S. 99; P.A. 14…

Sec. 22-344d. Signs required in pet shops selling dogs. Penalty. (a) A sign measuring not less than three inches in height and not less than five inches in width shall be posted on the cage of each dog offered for sale in a pet shop. The sign shall contain information printed in …

Sec. 22-344e. License required for procurement of dog or cat for resale. Exception. Penalty. No person shall procure any dog or cat for the purpose of resale unless such person: (1) Holds a pet shop license under section 22-344, or (2) resells such dog to a law enforcement agency…

Sec. 22-344f. Veterinarian examination of cat or dog imported into state by animal importer or person operating or maintaining animal shelter. Records of veterinary services rendered. Fines. (a) Any animal importer and any person who operates or maintains an animal shelter, as de…

Sec. 22-345. License and tag for service animals for persons with a disability. Any person with a disability who is the owner or keeper of a dog that has been trained as a service animal, is in training to become a service animal for such person, is in training to become a servic…

Secs. 22-345a and 22-345b. Transferred to Chapter 814b, Secs. 46a-42 and 46a-43.

Sec. 22-346. Guide dogs on trains. Section 22-346 is repealed. (1949 Rev., S. 3392; 1953, S. 1830d; 1963, P.A. 613, S. 17; 641, S. 2.)

Sec. 22-346a. Transferred to Chapter 814b, Sec. 46a-44.

Sec. 22-347. Use of license fees. Within thirty days after receipt of the fees for dog licenses and tags, each town clerk shall deduct one dollar for each dog licensed, two dollars for each kennel license issued and fifty cents for each replacement tag issued and pay the balance …

Sec. 22-348. Allocation of license fees to The University of Connecticut. Balance to towns. Section 22-348 is repealed, effective June 7, 2023. (1949 Rev., S. 3397; 1953, S. 1834d; 1957, P.A. 440, S. 7; 1963, P.A. 613, S. 19; P.A. 93-435, S. 52, 95; P.A. 01-62, S. 1; June 30 Sp. …

Sec. 22-349. Unlicensed dogs. Regulations. Impoundment. The town clerk of each town shall, annually, on or before July first, provide the municipal animal control officer or regional animal control officer with a copy of each dog license issued by such clerk. Such municipal anima…

Sec. 22-350. Dogs as personal property. Tax exemption. Theft. All dogs are deemed to be personal property. License fees paid under the provisions of this chapter shall be in lieu of any tax on any dog. Any person who steals a dog may be prosecuted under section 22-351 or under se…

Sec. 22-350a. Tethering dog to stationary object or mobile device. Prohibited means. Confining or tethering dogs for unreasonable period of time. Adequate shelter. Retention of other protections afforded dogs. Fines. (a) No person shall tether a dog to a stationary object or to a…

Sec. 22-351. Theft, killing or injuring of companion animal. Penalty. Liability. (a) Any person who steals, confines or conceals any companion animal, as defined in section 22-351a, or who, with the intention of stealing such companion animal or concealing its identity or the ide…

Sec. 22-351a. Liability for intentionally killing or injuring companion animal. (a) For the purposes of this section, “companion animal” means a domesticated dog or cat that is normally kept in or near the household of its owner or keeper and is dependent on a person for food, sh…

Sec. 22-352. Change of residence of owner. Any dog licensed as provided in this chapter may be kept in any town in this state under such license until the June thirtieth succeeding the date thereof, if the owner maintains a residence in the town where such license was issued. If …