[Adopted 5-27-1997 by Ord. No. 9597-10
(§§ 4 3/4-11 to 4 3/4-16 of the 1974 Code)]
In accordance with Public Act No. 96-243, C.G.S. § 22-339d,
the Town of Newington enacts this article to regulate the keeping of feral
cats and to establish procedures 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 domestic and feral cats.
As used in this article the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
A free-roaming domestic cat which is not owned.
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. § 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.G.S. §§ 22-380c
to 22-380m, inclusive, provided that such cats are adopted from a municipal
pound.
No person owning or keeping any cat shall permit such animal to:
A.
The Animal Control Officer may take into custody any
cat found to be damaging the 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.
The Animal Control Officer shall impound a cat that he
has taken into custody at the Town pound unless, in the opinion of a licensed
veterinarian, the cat is so injured or diseased that it should be destroyed
immediately, in which case the Animal Control Officer may cause the cat to
be mercifully killed by a licensed veterinarian or disposed of as the State
Veterinarian may direct.
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 as may be approved by the Chief Canine Control Officer 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 seven days after the date of publication, the Animal Control
Officer, upon finding such cat to be in satisfactory health, may sell such
cat 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.
If, within such period, any cat is not claimed by and
released to the owner or keeper or purchased as a pet, the Animal Control
Officer shall cause such cat to be mercifully killed by a licensed veterinarian
or disposed of as the State Veterinarian may direct.
F.
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 of a license, tag or other means of identification for such cat, and upon the payment by such owner or keeper or his agent of:
G.
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 § 153-14 of this article shall be fined $25 for each violation. Such fine is in addition to any fees collected as provided in § 153-15 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 Newington.
B.
Any owner or keeper of any impounded cat who fails to redeem such cat within 120 hours 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 § 153-14, as set forth in Subsection A above.
