[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town of Newtown as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted by the Legislative Council 3-7-2007 (Ord. No. 84)]
This article shall be known and may be cited as the "Newtown Pet Control Ordinance."
The purpose of this article is to keep the public buildings and other Town-owned properties (collectively, "Town property") free of unsupervised and roaming pets and clean of animal waste. It is not intended to override or repeal any existing regulation or policy of the Newtown Park and Recreation Department that bans pets and horses from Town parks.
No person shall bring into, permit, have or keep on Town property any dog, cat, household pet or other animal, except:
A. 
Dogs, cats or other animals outside of public buildings if held in control by a leash or other similar restraint;
B. 
Horses on established bridle trails;
C. 
Service animals such as Seeing Eye dogs in public buildings; and
D. 
Animals which, in conjunction with an event authorized by the Town agency in control of the affected property, are permitted.
The unauthorized presence of any animal on Town property when not under the control of a leash or similar restraint shall be prima facie evidence of the violation of this article.
All persons bringing animals into or onto Town property shall be responsible for cleaning up any solid waste and disposing of it in an environmentally sound manner.
Any violation of this article shall be punishable by a fine of $25 for the first occurrence; $50 for the second occurrence; and $99 for each occurrence thereafter.
Nothing herein shall be construed to require the Town of Newtown to post its property, nor shall the lack of such a posting be a defense to a violation of this article.
[Adopted by the Legislative Council 3-7-2012]
In accordance with Connecticut General Statutes (C.G.S.) Section 22-339d, as amended, and C.G.S. Section 22-332d, the Town of Newtown (Town) enacts this article and its policy on euthanasia to regulate the keeping of cats as defined in § 113-9, both in the community and at the Animal Control Center, and to establish a procedure for the Animal Control Officer to follow incident to his duties with respect thereto. The purpose of this article is to promote the public health and welfare relating to the control of the spread of the rabies virus, animal overpopulation, and property damage as it relates to cats.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
DOMESTICATED CAT
A cat that has been tamed and is or has been kept by humans as a pet.
FERAL CAT
A free-roaming domestic cat that 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.
A. 
Within one year of the adoption of this article, a keeper of feral cats within the Town shall register with the Animal Control Officer for the Town.
B. 
When a keeper registers with the Animal Control Officer, the Animal Control Officer shall provide information to the keeper regarding the proper care and management of feral cats.
C. 
A keeper of feral cats shall provide for the vaccination of such cats against rabies pursuant to C.G.S. Section 22-339b.
D. 
A keeper of feral cats shall provide for the sterilization of such cats. A keeper shall be considered an eligible owner for purposes of the animal population control program established under C.S.G. Sections 22-380e to 22-380m, inclusive, provided such cats are adopted from a municipal pound.
E. 
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.
A. 
The Animal Control Officer may take into custody any cat found to be damaging property other than property of its owner or keeper or causing an unsanitary, dangerous or unreasonably offensive condition, unless such cat can be identified as under the care of its owner or a registered keeper of feral cats.
B. 
Any cat brought to the Animal Control Facility by a Newtown resident and requested by such resident to be taken into custody by the facility may be accepted by the Animal Control Officer. Such cat may be made available for adoption in accordance with the “Welfare Policy for Impounded Animals.”
C. 
The Animal Control Officer shall immediately notify the owner or keeper of any cat so taken, if known, of its impoundment. If the owner or keeper of any such cat is unknown, the Animal Control Officer shall immediately tag or employ such other suitable means of identification of the cat and shall promptly cause a description of such cat to be published once in the lost and found column of a newspaper having a circulation in the Town.
D. 
If such cat is not claimed by and released to the owner or keeper within 14 days after the date of publication, the Animal Control Officer, upon finding such cat to be in satisfactory health, may make such cat available for adoption to any person who satisfies such Officer that he is purchasing it as a pet and that he can give it a good home and proper care. The Animal Control Officer may retain possession of such cat for such additional period of time as he may deem advisable in order to place such cat as a pet.
E. 
Any cat captured or impounded under the provisions of Subsection A of this section shall be redeemed by the owner or keeper thereof, or the agent of such owner or keeper, upon proper identification and presentation to the Animal Control Officer. An owner may redeem his cat(s) upon presentation of proper identification. A keeper may redeem feral cat(s) by showing his keeper registration certificate and upon the payment by such owner or keeper or his agent of:
(1) 
A redemption fee of $15; and
(2) 
The cost of advertising incurred under the provisions of Subsection C of this section
F. 
When the owner or keeper of any such impounded cat fails to redeem such cat within 24 hours after receiving notification to do so, or, where the owner was unknown, within 24 hours after notification was effected by means of publication in a newspaper, such owner or keeper shall pay, in addition to such redemption fee and the cost of advertising, the amount determined by the Animal Control Officer to be the full cost of detention and care of such impounded cat.
A. 
Any person who has violated § 113-10E of this article shall be fined $25 for each violation. Such fine is in addition to any fees collected as provided in §113-11 of this article. Each day that a violation occurs or continues shall constitute a separate offense. The Animal Control Officer or his agent shall issue a notice of violation to the violator. Such notice of violation shall state the nature of the violation, the amount of the fine to be paid, and an answer date by which the fine must be paid. Unless a plea of not guilty is entered by the answer date given on the notice of violation, failure to pay the fine by the date provided in the notice shall cause the amount of the fine to triple. Payment shall be made to the Town of Newtown.
B. 
Any owner or keeper of any impounded cat who fails to redeem such cat within 10 days after receiving notification to do so pursuant to this article shall be in violation of this article and shall be fined and issued a notice of violation in conformance with the procedure for a violation of § 113-10E as set forth in Subsection A above.
If a person who has been issued a citation does not make an uncontested payment of the fine specified by the citation to the Town within the time allowed under §§ 113-11 and 113-12 of this article, he shall follow the procedure in the Code of the Town of Newtown, § 104-18, Appeals procedure, Subsections B through E.