It is hereby declared that:
A. Vicious dogs have become a serious and widespread threat to the safety
and welfare of the citizens of our community.
B. Unprovoked attacks by vicious dogs upon persons and animals throughout
the country have occurred at an increasing rate.
C. Many of these attacks have taken place in public places and have
been attributable in large degree to the failure of owners to register,
confine and properly control their vicious dogs.
D. Existing laws are inadequate to deal with the threat to public health
and safety posed by vicious dogs.
E. The owning, keeping or harboring of vicious dogs is a nuisance.
As used in this article, the following words and terms shall
have the following meanings, unless the context shall indicate another
or different meaning or intent:
ENCLOSURE
A fence or structure not more than six feet in height and
at least five feet by 10 feet, forming or causing an enclosure suitable
to prevent the entry of young children and suitable to confine a vicious
dog in conjunction with other measures which may be taken by the owner
or keeper, such as tethering of the vicious dog. Such enclosure shall
be securely enclosed and locked and designed with secure sides, top
and bottom, shall be designed to prevent the dog from escaping from
the enclosure and shall also provide protection from the elements
for the dog.
IMPOUNDED
Taken into custody of the municipal dog pound.
OWNER
Any natural person or legal entity, including but not limited
to a firm, corporation, organization, partnership or trust, possessing,
harboring, having, keeping an interest in or having control or custody
of the dog.
VICIOUS DOG
A.
Any dog:
(1)
Which, when unprovoked, in a vicious or terrorizing manner approaches
any person in a menacing fashion or apparent attitude of attack upon
the streets, sidewalks or any public grounds or places;
(2)
With a known propensity, tendency or disposition to attack unprovoked,
to cause injury or to otherwise endanger the safety of human beings
or domestic animals;
(3)
Which bites, inflicts injury, assaults or otherwise attacks
a human being or domestic animal without provocation on public or
private property;
(4)
Owned or harbored primarily or in part for the purpose of dogfighting,
or any dog trained for dogfighting.
B.
Notwithstanding the definition of a "vicious dog" above, no
dog may be declared vicious if an injury or damage is sustained by
a person who, at the time such injury or damage was sustained, was
committing a willful trespass or other tort upon premises occupied
by the owner or keeper of the dog or was teasing, tormenting, abusing
or assaulting the dog or was committing or attempting to commit a
crime.
C.
No dog may be declared vicious if an injury or damage was sustained
by a domestic animal which, at the time such injury or damage was
sustained, was teasing, tormenting or assaulting the dog. No dog may
be declared vicious if the dog was protecting or defending a human
being within the immediate vicinity of the dog from an unjustified
attack or assault.
All vicious dogs shall be confined in an enclosure. It shall
be unlawful for any owner or keeper to maintain a vicious dog upon
any premises which does not have a locked enclosure. It shall be unlawful
for an owner of a vicious dog to permit the dog to be outside the
enclosure unless the dog is securely muzzled and restrained with a
chain held by the owner or keeper having a minimum tensile strength
of 300 pounds and not exceeding three feet in length and shall be
under the direct control and supervision of the owner or keeper of
a vicious dog. The muzzle shall be made in such a manner that will
not cause injury to the dog or interfere with its vision or respiration
but shall prevent it from biting any person or animal.
This article shall not apply to:
A. Kennels licensed in accordance with Title 22, Chapter 435, of the
Connecticut General Statutes.
B. K-9 or other dogs owned by the Police Department or any law enforcement
officer which are used in the performance of police work.
As used in this article, the following words and terms shall
have the following meanings, unless the context shall indicate another
or different meaning or intent:
FERAL CAT
A free-roaming domestic cat which is not owned.
KEEPER
Any person or organization harboring, regularly feeding or
having in his or its possession any feral cat. Refusal to permit any
animal control officer to impound a feral cat shall be deemed evidence
of keeping.
The keepers of feral cats in residential or commercial areas
must register, within one year of the adoption of this article, with
the Animal Control Officer for such municipality, who shall provide
information to the registrant regarding the proper care and management
of feral cats.
Keepers shall provide for the vaccination of such cats against
rabies and the sterilization of such cats. Such keeper shall be considered
an eligible owner for purposes of the animal population control program
established under §§ 22-380e to 22-380m, inclusive,
of the Connecticut General Statutes, provided such cats are adopted
from a municipal pound.
No person owning or keeping any cat shall permit such animal
to: 1) substantially damage property other than the property of the
owner or keeper; or 2) cause an unsanitary, dangerous or unreasonably
offensive condition. Violation of this provision shall be an infraction.