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Dog Law

CONNECTICUT DOG LAW STATUTES can be found under sections: 14-226 and 14-227b as well as sections 14- 327 329 332 333 338 339b 240 341 344b 345 349 350 350a 351 355 357 358 362 363 364 364a 364b

Sec. 22-364. Dogs roaming at large. Intentional or reckless subsequent violation.

  1. No owner or keeper of any dog shall allow such dog to roam at large upon the land of another and not under control of the owner or keeper or the agent of the owner or keeper, nor allow such dog to roam at large on any portion of any public highway and not attended or under control of such owner or keeper or his agent, provided nothing in this subsection shall be construed to limit or prohibit the use of hunting dogs during the open hunting or training season. The unauthorized presence of any dog on the land of any person other than the owner or keeper of such dog or on any portion of a public highway when such dog is not attended by or under the control of such owner or keeper, shall be prima facie evidence of a violation of the provisions of this subsection. Violation of any provision of this subsection shall be an infraction.
  2. Any owner or keeper of any dog who, knowing of the vicious propensities of such dog and having violated the provisions of subsection (a) of this section within the preceding year, intentionally or recklessly violates the provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than six months, or both, if such dog, while roaming at large, causes physical injury to another person and such other person was not teasing, tormenting or abusing such dog.

Sec. 22-357. Damage to person or property.

If any dog does any damage to either the body or property of any person, the owner or keeper, or, if the owner or keeper is a minor, the parent or guardian of such minor, shall be liable for such damage, except when such damage has been occasioned to the body or property of a person who, at the time such damage was sustained, was committing a trespass or other tort, or was teasing, tormenting or abusing such dog. If a minor, on whose behalf an action under this section is brought, was under seven years of age at the time the damage was done, it shall be presumed that such minor was not committing a trespass or other tort, or teasing, tormenting or abusing such dog, and the burden of proof thereof shall be upon the defendant in such action.

Sec. 22-327. Definitions. As used in this chapter:

  1. "Animal" means any brute creature, including, but not limited to, dogs, cats, monkeys, guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, birds and reptiles;
  2. "Chief Animal Control Officer", "Assistant Chief Animal Control Officer" and "animal control officer" mean, respectively, the Chief State Animal Control Officer, the Assistant Chief State Animal Control Officer and a state animal control officer appointed under section 22-328;
  3. "Commercial kennel" means a kennel maintained for boarding or grooming dogs or cats, and includes, but is not limited to, any veterinary hospital which boards or grooms dogs or cats for nonmedical purposes;
  4. "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Agriculture;
  5. "Grooming facility" means any place, other than a commercial kennel, which is maintained as a business where dogs are groomed;
  6. "Keeper" means any person, other than the owner, harboring or having in his possession any dog;
  7. "Kennel" means one pack or collection of dogs which are kept under one ownership at a single location and are bred for show, sport or sale;
  8. "Municipal animal control officer" means any such officer appointed under the provisions of section 22-331;
  9. "Pet shop" means any place at which animals not born and raised on the premises are kept for the purpose of sale to the public;
  10. "Poultry" means all domestic fowl and any pheasants or other game birds securely confined and lawfully owned and possessed by any person under the provisions of section 26-40;
  11. "Regional animal control officer" and "assistant regional animal control officer" means a regional Connecticut animal control officer and an assistant regional Connecticut animal control officer appointed under the provisions of section 22-331a;
  12. "Training facility" means any place, other than a commercial kennel or grooming facility, which is maintained as a business where dogs are trained.