OLR Bill Analysis

SB 497 (File 414, as amended by Senate “A”)*

AN ACT CONCERNING THE REIMBURSEMENT OF MUNICIPAL ADVERTISING COSTS AND PET ADOPTIONS.

SUMMARY:

This bill requires anyone who purchases an unclaimed dog or animal from a municipal pound to pay for the cost of advertising incurred by the animal control officer (ACO) in searching for its owner (see BACKGROUND).

*Senate Amendment “A” specifies that people who purchase unclaimed dogs or animals from municipal pounds must pay for advertising costs that the law requires.

EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2009

BACKGROUND

ACOs' and Towns' Responsibilities Concerning Roaming or Stray Dogs

By law, an ACO may take into custody (1) any roaming dog; (2) any dog not (a) having a tag or plate on its collar, (b) leashed, or (c) confined or under control as required by any order of the agriculture commissioner or regulation relating to rabies; or (3) any dog found injured on any highway, neglected, abandoned, or cruelly treated. The ACO must impound such a dog in the pound of the municipality where it was found, unless a licensed veterinarian decides the dog's injuries or disease warrants it being destroyed. If so, the ACO may have the dog mercifully killed by a licensed veterinarian or disposed of as the state veterinarian may direct.

If its owner or keeper is unknown, the ACO must (1) immediately tag or use another approved means to identify the dog or animal and (2) promptly publish a description of the dog or animal once in the lost and found column of a newspaper that circulates in the municipality where the dog was found. The municipal treasurer or other fiscal officer must pay for the advertisement cost to locate a dog's owner from the town's dog fund account. If the ACO knows the owner or keeper of a dog or animal that he takes into custody, the ACO must immediately notify him or her that the dog or animal was impounded.

By law, anyone who purchases an unclaimed dog as a pet must pay a $ 5 fee and obtain a license and tag for it (CGS § 22-332).

Related Bill

sSB 784 (File 534) explicitly broadens the authority of the chief ACO and municipal and other ACOs to impound animals under certain circumstances.

By law, ACOs may impound any dog found injured on any highway, neglected, abandoned, or cruelly treated. Current law refers to “any other animal” taken into custody, but is unclear as to when these animals may be impounded. The bill explicitly authorizes ACOs to impound other domestic animals that are injured, neglected, abandoned, or cruelly treated and requires the exact same process after impoundment as existing law requires for dogs. The bill defines “other domestic animal” as any animal commonly kept as a pet, excluding livestock or ratite (e. g. , ostrich or emu).

The bill also allows ACOs to impound livestock or ratite that pose a threat to public safety, property, or other animals. The officer must follow similar impoundment and processing procedures as he or she follows with impounded dogs. By law, livestock includes cattle, camelid (e. g. , llamas and camels), and hooved animals a person raises for domestic or commercial use.

COMMITTEE ACTION

Environment Committee

Joint Favorable

Planning and Development Committee

Joint Favorable