(a)Any owner or keeper of dogs who breeds more than five litters of dogs annually shall apply to the town clerk in the town in which such kennel is located for a local kennel license. Any owner or keeper of a kennel who breeds not more than five litters of dogs annually may apply to the town clerk of the town in which such kennel is located for a local kennel license. For the purposes of this section, annually shall refer to the local kennel license year which begins July first. Such town clerk shall issue to such applicant a local kennel license on a form prescribed by the commissioner for a period from the date of such application until the thirtieth day of the ensuing June. The license shall specify the name and number of the kennel, the name of the owner and the name of the keeper and
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(a) Any owner or keeper of dogs who breeds more than five litters of dogs annually shall apply to the town clerk in the town in which such kennel is located for a local kennel license. Any owner or keeper of a kennel who breeds not more than five litters of dogs annually may apply to the town clerk of the town in which such kennel is located for a local kennel license. For the purposes of this section, annually shall refer to the local kennel license year which begins July first. Such town clerk shall issue to such applicant a local kennel license on a form prescribed by the commissioner for a period from the date of such application until the thirtieth day of the ensuing June. The license shall specify the name and number of the kennel, the name of the owner and the name of the keeper and shall be in lieu of any other license required for any dog of either sex which may be kept in such kennel during the period for which the license is issued. Each license may be renewed from year to year by the town clerk upon application of such owner or keeper. Each such owner or keeper shall cause to be kept, upon each dog in such kennel, while it is at large, a collar or harness of leather or other suitable material, to which collar or harness shall be securely attached a tag or plate upon which shall appear the number of the local kennel license, the name of the town issuing the license and the year of license. Such plates or tags shall be furnished by the town clerk of the town in which such kennel is licensed, at a cost of ten cents each, in such numbers, not fewer than the number of dogs kept in such kennel, and at such time as the licensee may request. (b) The fee for each local kennel license, when no more than ten dogs are kept in the kennel, shall be fifty dollars, and for a local kennel license for a kennel containing more than ten dogs, the fee shall be one hundred dollars, except that in the case of a kennel started after the first day of July, the local kennel license fee for the remainder of the year shall be a proportional part of the fee charged for one year. If the owner or keeper of any kennel fails to obtain the local kennel license on or before June thirtieth, such owner or keeper shall pay one dollar for each dog kept therein, in addition to the regular local kennel license fee. All local kennel license fees shall be used only by towns for the compensation of municipal animal control officers, license certificates, tags, the construction and maintenance of dog pounds, the detention and care of impounded animals in accordance with section 22-336 , municipal animal control officer's equipment, animal supplies and such veterinary fees, as are provided for by the general statutes or the regulations of Connecticut state agencies and shall not be used for any other purpose. No fee paid into the treasury of any town for a local kennel license fee shall be returned or paid back to the person from whom such fee was collected. (c) The commissioner, the Chief Animal Control Officer or any state animal control officer may at any time inspect any kennel including all facilities of any kennel in which dogs are bred or housed or cause it to be inspected by a Connecticut licensed veterinarian appointed by the commissioner. If, in the judgment of the commissioner, such kennel is not being maintained in good repair and in a sanitary and humane manner or if the commissioner finds that communicable or infectious disease or other unsatisfactory conditions exist in the kennel, he may issue such orders as he deems necessary for the correction of such conditions and may quarantine the premises and animals. If the owner or keeper of such kennel fails to comply with such orders, the commissioner shall revoke or suspend the kennel license of such owner or keeper. On or after July 1, 2023, each such kennel may be inspected annually by an animal control officer appointed pursuant to section 22-331 or 22-331a with jurisdiction in the municipality in which such kennel is located, or upon receipt of any complaint about such kennel. Such inspection shall include an evaluation of: (1) The sanitary conditions in which the dogs are kept, (2) the dogs' access to proper and wholesome food, potable water, exercise and veterinary care when necessary, including rabies vaccinations, and (3) records of veterinary care and records of the transfer of dogs or puppies to new owners. Any crate or other enclosure in which any dog is kept for more than four hours shall be clean and in good repair, such that the crate or enclosure does not pose a hazard to the dog, and shall be of sufficient size as to allow the dogs to stand, sit, lie down, turn around and make normal postural movements. If any animal control officer finds conditions exist in such kennel that may adversely affect the health, safety or welfare of any dog, such animal control officer may issue such orders as are necessary for the correction of such conditions. If such animal control officer suspects a communicable or infectious disease is present, such officer may order the licensee to consult a Connecticut licensed veterinarian at such licensee's expense to address the suspected health condition. The licensee shall implement any order of the animal control officer to correct any condition that may adversely affect the health, safety or welfare of any such dog, and shall follow any recommendation of such veterinarian, as applicable. A municipality may suspend, revoke or refuse to issue any local kennel license under this section for cause. (d) Any person aggrieved by any order issued under the provisions of this section may appeal to the Superior Court of the judicial district in which such municipality is located, provided such appeal is made not later than fifteen days after the date of such order and is otherwise made in accordance with the provisions of section 4-183 . (e) Any person maintaining a kennel after such license has been revoked or suspended as herein provided shall be guilty of a class D misdemeanor. (f) Any owner or keeper of a kennel who breeds more than five litters of dogs annually and (1) fails to apply for a local kennel license as required in subsection (a) of this section, (2) fails to allow an inspection of such facility as required in subsection (c) of this section, or (3) fails to comply with any order issued pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, shall, for a first offense, have committed an infraction, and for a second or subsequent offense be guilty of a class D misdemeanor. (g) No person found guilty of violating section 53-247 , 53-248 or 53-249 shall be eligible to hold a local kennel license issued pursuant to this section. No business entity that has a person with a controlling interest in such entity who has been found guilty of violating section 53-247 , 53-248 or 53-249 shall be eligible to hold a local license issued pursuant to this section.
(1949 Rev., S. 3388, 3389; 1953, S. 1826d; 1957, P.A. 440, S. 4; 1963, P.A. 613, S. 13; 1969, P.A. 81, S. 4; P.A. 76-436, S. 457, 681; P.A. 77-260; 77-420, S. 1, 3; 77-603, S. 99, 125; P.A. 93-435, S. 47, 95; P.A. 98-12, S. 13, 22; 98-113, S. 1; P.A. 12-80, S. 128; P.A. 23-17, S. 3; 23-187, S. 28.) History: 1963 act made provisions of Subsec. (a) generally applicable, deleting references to period between May 1, 1958, and June 30, 1959; 1969 act replaced references to dog wardens with references to canine control officers where necessary; P.A. 76-436 replaced court of common pleas with superior court in Subsec. (c), effective July 1, 1978; P.A. 77-260 replaced maximum $50 fine in Subsec. (d) with minimum fine of $50 and maximum fine of $100; P.A. 77-420 doubled kennel license fees in Subsec. (a) and in Subsec. (b) made suspension or revocation of license for failure to comply with orders of commissioner or canine control officer mandatory rather than optional; P.A. 77-603 revised appeal provision in Subsec. (c) to require appeals from commissioner's orders to be taken in accordance with Sec. 4-183; P.A. 93-435 made certain technical and grammatical revisions, effective June 28, 1993; P.A. 98-12 changed “canine control officer” to “animal control officer”, in Subsec. (b), effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 98-113 amended Subsec. (a) to mandate regulation of breeders of more than two litters of dogs annually and to add definition of “annually”, amended Subsec. (b) to replace “canine control officer” with “animal control officer”, to add provision re inspection of facilities in which dogs are bred or housed, to change “registered” to “Connecticut licensed” veterinarian and to add provision re maintenance of kennel in good repair, amended Subsec. (d) to increase penalties for certain violations of this section and added new Subsec. (e) re penalty for breeders who violate this section; P.A. 12-80 amended Subsecs. (d) and (e) to change penalties from a fine of not more than $1,000 or imprisonment of not more than 1 year or both to a class B misdemeanor; P.A. 23-17 amended Subsec. (a) to increase threshold for licensure from 2 to 5 litters per year and to rename license as local kennel license, designated Subsec. (b) and changed name of said license and added provision re use of local kennel license fees by towns, redesignated existing Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (c) and added provision re annual inspection of such kennels and requirements of any such inspection, authorization to issue orders following such inspection, requirement of licensee to implement such order and authority of municipality to suspend, revoke or refuse to issue such license, redesignated existing Subsec. (c) as Subsec. (d) and added provision re appeal being brought in judicial district in which such municipality is located, redesignated existing Subsec. (d) as Subsec. (e) and changed penalty from a class B to a class D misdemeanor, redesignated existing Subsec. (e) as Subsec. (f) and added Subdiv. (3) re penalty for failure to comply with an order issued pursuant to Subsec. (c) and added Subsec. (g) re ineligibility of any person convicted of animal cruelty provisions to hold such local kennel license and made conforming changes, effective June 7, 2023; P.A. 23-187 amended Subsec. (c) to change provision from requiring inspection of each such kennel annually to authorizing such annual inspection on and after July 1, 2023, effective June 28, 2023. “Kennel” defined; defects in license; license may be issued after May 1st; keeping dogs at different places. 84 C. 640. Cited. 127 C. 73; 218 C. 757.