Sec. 22-344. Licensing of commercial kennel, pet shop, training facility or grooming facility. Fees. Inspection. Conformance to zoning regulations. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 22-344. Licensing of commercial kennel, pet shop, training facility or grooming facility. Fees. Inspection. Conformance to zoning regulations. (a) No person shall maintain a commercial kennel until he has obtained from the commissioner a license to maintain such kennel under such regulations as the commissioner provides as to sanitation, disease and humane treatment of dogs or cats and the protection of the public safety. Upon written application and the payment of a fee of one hundred dollars, the commissioner shall issue such license to be effective until the ensuing December thirty-first provided the commissioner finds (1) that such regulations have been complied with and (2) in the case of each initial application for such license, that the zoning enforcement official of the municipality wherein such kennel is to be maintained has certified that the kennel conforms to the municipal zoning regulations. Such license shall be renewed annually, not later than December thirty-first, in accordance with the provisions of this section, and may be transferred by the licensee to another premises upon approval of the commissioner.

      (b) No person shall maintain a pet shop until he has obtained from the commissioner a license to maintain such pet shop under such regulations as the commissioner provides as to sanitation, disease and humane treatment of animals and the protection of the public safety. Upon written application and the payment of a fee of two hundred dollars, the commissioner shall issue such license to be effective until the ensuing December thirty-first provided the commissioner finds (1) that such regulations have been complied with and (2) in the case of each initial application for such license, that the zoning enforcement official of the municipality wherein such pet shop is to be maintained has certified that the pet shop conforms to the municipal zoning regulations. Such pet shop license may be transferred by the licensee to another premises upon the approval of the commissioner. The commissioner, after consultation with the Commissioners of Public Health and Environmental Protection, shall establish and maintain, pursuant to regulations adopted in accordance with chapter 54, a list of animals which are deemed to be injurious to the health and safety of the public or whose maintenance in captivity is detrimental to the health and safety of the animal. The sale or offer of sale of any animal which is on said list is prohibited and any person who violates this provision shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars.

      (c) No person shall engage in the business of grooming or maintaining a grooming facility until such person has obtained from the commissioner a license to maintain such facility under such regulations as the commissioner provides as to sanitation, disease and humane treatment of such animals and the protection of the public safety. Upon written application and the payment of a fee of one hundred dollars, the commissioner shall issue such license to be effective until the ensuing December thirty-first provided the commissioner finds (1) that such regulations have been complied with, and (2) in the case of each initial application for such license, that the zoning enforcement official of the municipality wherein such grooming is to be maintained has certified that the facility conforms to the municipal zoning regulations. Such license shall be renewed annually, not later than December thirty-first, in accordance with the provisions of this section, and may be transferred by the licensee to other premises upon approval of the commissioner.

      (d) No person shall maintain a training facility until such person has obtained from the commissioner a license to maintain such facility under such regulations as the commissioner provides as to sanitation, disease and humane treatment of such animals and the protection of public safety. Upon written application and the payment of a fee of one hundred dollars, the commissioner shall issue such license to be effective until the ensuing December thirty-first provided the commissioner finds (1) that such regulations have been complied with and (2) in the case of each initial application for such license, that the zoning enforcement official of the municipality wherein such training facility is to be maintained has certified that the facility conforms to the municipal zoning regulations. Such license shall be renewed annually upon the terms required for the original license and may be transferred by the licensee to another premises upon approval of the commissioner.

      (e) The commissioner may, at any time, inspect or cause to be inspected by his agents any such commercial kennel, pet shop, grooming facility or training facility, and if, in his judgment such kennel, pet shop, grooming facility or training facility is not being maintained in a sanitary and humane manner or in a manner that protects the public safety, or if he finds that contagious, infectious or communicable disease or other unsatisfactory conditions exist, 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, pet shop, grooming facility or training facility fails to comply with the regulations or orders of the commissioner, or fails to comply with any provision of the statutes or regulations relating to dogs or other animals, the commissioner may revoke or suspend such license. Any person aggrieved by any order issued under the provisions of this section may appeal therefrom in accordance with the provisions of section 4-183. Any person maintaining any commercial kennel, pet shop, grooming facility or training facility without having obtained a license for the same or after any such license has been revoked or suspended as provided herein shall be fined not more than two hundred dollars. The provisions of this section shall not apply to veterinary hospitals, except those boarding or grooming dogs for nonmedical purposes, and other establishments where all the dogs or animals were born and raised on the premises where they are kept for sale.

      (f) The provisions of subsections (a) to (d), inclusive, of this section requiring certification by the zoning enforcement official that every commercial kennel, pet shop, grooming facility and training facility conforms to the zoning regulations of the municipality wherein such kennel, pet shop, grooming facility or training facility is maintained shall not apply to any person who is licensed under said subsections and maintained any such kennel, pet shop or grooming facility prior to October 1, 1977, provided such person does not relocate such kennel, pet shop, grooming facility or training facility in a zone in which such kennel, pet shop, grooming facility or training facility is not a permitted use. In addition, the provisions of said subsections requiring certification by the zoning enforcement official that every commercial kennel, pet shop, grooming facility and training facility conforms to the zoning regulations of the municipality wherein such kennel, pet shop, grooming facility or training facility is maintained shall not apply when a zone in which such kennel, pet shop, grooming facility or training facility is maintained is changed to a use which does not permit such kennel, pet shop, grooming facility or training facility in such zone.

      (1949 Rev., S. 3327; 1953, S. 1828d; 1959, P.A. 447, S. 1; 1963, P.A. 613, S. 15; February, 1965, P.A. 22, S. 1; 1969, P.A. 81, S. 4; 423, S. 2; 1971, P.A. 70; 1972, P.A. 180, S. 2; P.A. 74-89; P.A. 76-436, S. 458, 681; P.A. 77-314, S. 2; 77-505; 77-603, S. 100, 125; 77-614, S. 323, 610; P.A. 82-91, S. 15, 16, 38; P.A. 83-382, S. 2, 3; P.A. 88-364, S. 30, 123; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-6, S. 49, 117; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; 93-435, S. 48, 95; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 01-62, S. 3.)

      History: 1959 act raised license fee from $1 to $10; 1963 act made previous provisions Subsecs. (a) and (c), revising Subsec. (a) to apply only to commercial kennels and inserting new Subsec. (b) with separate provisions applicable to pet shops; 1965 act allowed revocation or suspension of license for failure to comply with statutes or regulations re dogs; 1969 acts inserted new Subsec. (c) containing provisions applicable to grooming businesses, relettering former Subsec. (c) accordingly, replaced references to dog wardens with references to canine control officers where necessary and including references to grooming facilities; 1971 act deleted proviso re prorated license fees for pet shops starting after January thirty-first in Subsec. (b); 1972 act replaced references to inspections by canine control officers and veterinarians with references to inspections by commissioner's agents and allowed suspension or revocation of license for violations of statutes and regulations re other animals as well as dogs in Subsec. (d); P.A. 74-89 included provisions in Subsec. (b) re list of animals not to be maintained in captivity or injurious to public health and safety; P.A. 76-436 replaced court of common pleas with superior court in Subsec. (d), effective July 1, 1978; P.A. 77-314 inserted new Subsec. (d) containing provisions applicable to training facilities, relettering former Subsec. (d) accordingly and including references to training facilities; P.A. 77-505 required that facilities conform to zoning regulations as condition of licensure and added Subsec. (e) clarifying what constitutes conformity to zoning regulations; P.A. 77-603 replaced previous appeal provision with statement requiring that appeals be made in accordance with Sec. 4-183; P.A. 77-614 substituted commissioner of health services for commissioner of health in Subsec. (b), effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 82-91 increased commercial kennel license fee from $10 to $25 and amended Subsec. (e) to extend the application of the provisions of the section to veterinary hospitals boarding or grooming dogs for nonmedical purposes; P.A. 83-382 amended Subsecs. (a), (b), (c) and (d) to authorize the commissioner to adopt regulations that protect the public safety, amended Subsecs. (c) and (d) to raise the license fee for training facilities from $20 to $25 and amended Subsec. (d) to require the zoning enforcement officer to certify that a training facility conform to local zoning; P.A. 88-364 made technical changes in Subsecs. (b), (e) and (f); May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-6 amended Subsecs. (a), (c) and (d) to increase the license fee from $25 to $100 and amended Subsecc. (b) and (e) to increase the license fee from $50 to $200; P.A. 93-381 replaced commissioner of health services with commissioner of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-435 made certain technical and grammatical revisions, effective June 28, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 01-62 amended Subsec. (c) to make a technical change and to require licenses to be renewed annually not later than December thirty-first.

      See Sec. 22-344a re euthanasia of warm-blooded animals offered for sale by pet shops and revocation of pet shop licenses for violation of requirements.