Section 22-359 - Control of rabies. Quarantine. Regulations. Report of rabies cases. Fine. Seizure of animals. Costs(a) The commissioner, or the commissioner's designee, may make such orders for the testing for rabies, adequate confinement, quarantine, control or humane euthanasia of any dog, cat or other animal as necessary to prevent the spread of rabies and to protect the public. Any local director of health may order the humane euthanasia of any unowned animal that is not currently vaccinated for rabies for the purpose of rabies testing if the director finds that the animal has bitten a person and the health or life of such person may be threatened.(b) The commissioner or any animal control officer appointed pursuant to section 22-328, 22-331 or 22-331a shall quarantine any animal in a public pound, veterinary hospital, kennel or other building or enclosure approved by the commissioner for such purpose, if in the determination of the commissioner or such officer, such animal is rabid or is suspected of being rabid, or has been bitten by, or may have been bitten by, or has been in contact with or exposed to, a rabid animal or an animal suspected of carrying rabies or any wild animal as defined in subsection (d) of this section. The length of such quarantine period shall be determined by the commissioner or the State Veterinarian who shall take into account the age, general health and vaccination history of the animal as well as current accepted veterinary practices. Any suspected or confirmed case of rabies shall be reported by such officer to the State Veterinarian not later than twenty-four hours of receipt of such information.(c) Whenever a person, companion animal or other animal has been bitten or attacked by a dog, cat or ferret, any animal control officer appointed pursuant to section 22-328, 22-331 or 22-331a shall quarantine such biting or attacking dog, cat or ferret for ten days. During such quarantine such biting or attacking dog, cat or ferret shall be observed for clinical signs of rabies. On the tenth day of such quarantine, such dog, cat or ferret shall be examined by the State Veterinarian or a person designated by the State Veterinarian to determine whether such quarantine shall be continued or removed. The quarantine of a biting or attacking dog, cat or ferret shall conform to one of the following: (1) When the biting or attacking dog, cat or ferret has a current rabies vaccination, the biting or attacking dog, cat or ferret shall be quarantined in a public pound or in a veterinary hospital or in a commercial kennel approved by the State Veterinarian for such purpose or on the premises of the owner or keeper of such biting dog, cat or ferret when such premises is adequate for the confinement of such animal, as determined by the authority that issued such order; or(2) when the biting or attacking dog, cat or ferret does not have a current rabies vaccination, the biting or attacking dog, cat or ferret shall be quarantined in a public pound or in a veterinary hospital or in a commercial kennel approved by the State Veterinarian for such purpose, or the dog, cat or ferret may be quarantined or confined on the premises of the owner or keeper of the biting or attacking dog, cat or ferret due to medical necessity determined by a licensed veterinarian when such premises is adequate for the confinement of such animal and acceptable to the municipality or agency issuing the quarantine order and provided such animal is vaccinated for rabies by a licensed veterinarian on the tenth day of such quarantine.(d) The management, confinement, quarantine or disposition of biting or attacking animals other than dogs, cats or ferrets shall be determined by the State Veterinarian who shall take into account the age, general health, rabies vaccination status of the biting or attacking animal, the rabies vaccination status of the animal exposed to or bitten by rabid or suspected rabid wildlife and the current national recommendations for the prevention and control of rabies.(e) The owner or keeper of any animal that has been quarantined or confined pursuant to this section may authorize the humane euthanasia of such animal by a licensed veterinarian at any time before the end of the quarantine or confinement period for the purpose of testing such animal for rabies. Any animal so euthanized shall be examined for rabies by the Connecticut Department of Public Health Laboratory or any laboratory authorized by the Connecticut Department of Public Health. The veterinarian performing the euthanasia shall be responsible for ensuring that the head of the euthanized animal is delivered to the appropriate laboratory for rabies examination not later than forty-eight hours after such euthanasia. The costs of any such quarantine, veterinary examination, rabies vaccination, euthanasia and rabies testing shall be the responsibility of the owner or keeper of any animal quarantined or confined pursuant to this section.(f) Any dog, cat or other animal held in quarantine that is clinically diagnosed as rabid by a licensed veterinarian or the State Veterinarian shall be humanely euthanized immediately without prior notice to the owner or keeper of same. No person who humanely euthanizes any animal in accordance with this subsection shall be held criminally or civilly liable therefor. Any animal that is humanely euthanized pursuant to this subsection shall be examined for rabies by the Connecticut Department of Public Health Laboratory or any laboratory authorized by the Connecticut Department of Public Health. The veterinarian performing the euthanasia shall be responsible for ensuring that the head of the euthanized animal is delivered to the appropriate laboratory for rabies examination not later than forty-eight hours after being euthanized.(g) Any animal, other than a dog, that is quarantined pursuant to this section which is not claimed by its owner or keeper not later than five days after the expiration of such quarantine may be sold or given away by the municipal or regional animal control officer provided the animal is in good health. The animal may only be sold or given away as a pet to a person who satisfies such officer that the animal will be given a good home and proper care. The municipal animal control officer may retain possession of such animal for such additional period of time as necessary to place such animal. Any animal, other than a dog, that is quarantined pursuant to this section and that is not claimed by its owner or keeper not later than five days after the expiration of such quarantine and that is not sold by the municipal or regional animal control officer not later than five days after the expiration of such quarantine, may be disposed of at the direction of the State Veterinarian. No person who disposes of any animal in accordance with this subsection shall be held criminally or civilly liable therefor.(h) Any animal control officer appointed pursuant to section 22-328, 22-331 or 22-331a or any state or municipal police officer may immediately kill any wild animal that displays behavior that causes the commissioner, the State Veterinarian, a state or municipal police officer or such animal control officer to reasonably conclude that such animal is rabid. For purposes of this section, "wild animal" means any mammal which is ferae naturae or wild by nature.(i) The commissioner shall institute such measures as the commissioner deems necessary to prevent the transmission of rabies associated with animals in public settings, including, but not limited to, fairs, shows, exhibitions, petting zoos, riding stables, farm tours, pet shops and educational exhibits.(j) The commissioner shall adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, to implement the provisions of subsection (i) of this section. Such regulations may include requirements for the vaccination of animals against rabies, identification of animals, identification of owners or keepers of such animals, animal enclosures, posting of public advisories, reporting of rabies exposure incidents, records deemed necessary and proper relating to the vaccination of animals against rabies, and any other methods determined by the commissioner to prevent the transmission of rabies. Such regulations may consider the species of animal, the characteristics of the public settings and the nature and type of contact the public may have with animals.(k) Any suspected or confirmed case of rabies shall be reported to the State Veterinarian by the testing diagnostic laboratory or a local director of health or any licensed veterinarian not later than twenty-four hours after receipt of such information.(l) Any person who fails to comply with any order issued pursuant to this section shall be fined two hundred fifty dollars. Any dog, cat or other animal subject to a quarantine or confinement order issued pursuant to this section whose owner or keeper fails to comply with such quarantine order may be seized by any state, municipal or regional animal control officer and held in quarantine until such quarantine is complete and the dog, cat or other animal is examined by a licensed veterinarian. All costs associated with a failure to comply with a quarantine or confinement order issued pursuant to this section, including, but not limited to, the costs of seizure, care, handling, veterinary examination and rabies vaccination shall be paid by the owner or keeper of such animal prior to the release of such animal to such owner or keeper.Conn. Gen. Stat. § 22-359
(1949 Rev., S. 3407; 1953, S. 1845d; 1963, P.A. 613, S. 29; 1969, P.A. 81, S. 4; P.A. 91-46 , S. 7 , 12 ; P.A. 92-77 , S. 2 , 5 ; P.A. 97-187 , S. 2 , 4 ; P.A. 98-12 , S. 16 , 22 ; P.A. 06-105 , S. 4 .)
Amended by P.A. 23-0017, S. 8 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2023 Regular Session, eff. 6/7/2023.Amended by P.A. 19-0197, S. 2 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2019 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2019.