§ 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 governing body, may agree to be served by a regional animal control officer. Upon certification of such agreement to the commissioner with assurances from the towns so certifying that they will provide and continue to provide adequate facilities and compensation for such officer, the commissioner may, after giving due regard to the regional aspects of the proposed facilities and whether the proposed region would be in the best interests of the towns so certifying, establish such region. Each person so appointed shall have the same powers and duties within the region to which he is assigned as a municipal animal control officer in each town therein. All costs of maintaining and operating such pounds and administering and enforcing the laws relating to dogs within such regions shall be paid in accordance with the provisions of the agreement certified to the commissioner under this section. Any pound facility operated pursuant to this section shall meet the construction, maintenance and sanitation standards established pursuant to section 22-336 and any regulations adopted pursuant to said section, including, but not limited to, standards for the handling and transportation of dogs and other domestic animals.

Legislative History

(1963, P.A. 613, S. 5; 1967, P.A. 162, S. 1; 1969, P.A. 81, S. 3; P.A. 82-440, S. 1, 3; P.A. 91-59, S. 5; 91-131, S. 1, 4; P.A. 92-147, S. 3, 4; P.A. 19-8, S. 1; P.A. 21-90, S. 6.) History: 1967 act combined Subsecs. (a) and (b), redesignating (c) accordingly, rephrased provisions and emphasized necessity for facilities for use as pound in order for regional program to exist; 1969 act replaced references to regional wardens with references to regional canine control officers; P.A. 82-440 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting provisions which made state via its dog fund account responsible for cost of canine control officers' salaries and of maintaining pounds and by making regional canine control officers subject to chapter 67 and amended Subsec. (b) by establishing a procedure for towns participating in regional dog pounds to pay the complete pro rata cost of such pounds; P.A. 91-59 replaced references to “regional canine control officer” and “local dog warden” with references to “regional animal control officer” and “municipal animal control officer”, respectively; P.A. 91-131 added interest and penalty provisions, effective July 1, 1991, and applicable to any assessment due on or after said date; P.A. 92-147 deleted former Subsec. (b) and rewrote section to remove state involvement in the appointment or payment of regional animal control officers; P.A. 19-8 changed requirement for regional facility from two or more contiguous towns each of which has a population of less than 25,000 to two or more towns each of which has a population of less than 50,000; P.A. 21-90 replaced “legislative bodies” with “board of selectmen, town council or other governing body” and added provision re pound facility meeting the construction, maintenance and sanitation standards established pursuant to Sec. 22-336, effective June 28, 2021.