Summary: This Connecticut statute allows municipalities to prohibit dogs running at large and to prevet animal cruelty; this statute also prohibts municipalities from adopting breed specific legislation.
§ 7-148. Scope of municipal powers
(a) Definitions. Whenever used in this section, “municipality” means any town, city or borough, consolidated town and city or consolidated town and borough.
(b) Ordinances. Powers granted to any municipality under the general statutes or by any charter or special act, unless the charter or special act provides to the contrary, shall be exercised by ordinance when the exercise of such powers has the effect of:
(1) Establishing rules or regulations of general municipal application, the violation of which may result in the imposition of a fine or other penalty including community service for not more than twenty hours; or
(2) Creating a permanent local law of general applicability.
(c) Powers. Any municipality shall have the power to do any of the following, in addition to all powers granted to municipalities under the Constitution and general statutes:
. . .
(7) Regulatory and police powers. (A) Buildings.
. . .
(D) Animals. (i) Regulate and prohibit the going at large of dogs and other animals in the streets and public places of the municipality and prevent cruelty to animals and all inhuman sports, except that no municipality shall adopt breed-specific dog ordinances;
(ii) Regulate and prohibit the keeping of wild or domestic animals, including reptiles, within the municipal limits or portions thereof;
. . .
Credits
(1949 Rev., § 619; 1953, Supp. § 197c; 1955, Supp. § 248d; 1957, P.A. 13, § 7; 1957, P.A. 201; 1957, P.A. 354, § 1; 1959, P.A. 359, § 1, eff. June 2, 1959; 1961, P.A. 187; 1961, P.A. 570; 1963, P.A. 434; 1963, P.A. 626; 1965, Feb.Sp.Sess., P.A. 582; 1967, P.A. 126; 1967, P.A. 805, § 3; 1967, P.A. 830; 1969, P.A. 694, § 20, eff. July 1, 1969; 1971, P.A. 389, § 1, eff. May 25, 1971; 1971, P.A. 802, § 1; 1973, P.A. 73-614, § 2, eff. June 17, 1973; 1975, P.A. 75-178, § 1, eff. May 28, 1975; 1976, P.A. 76-32; 1978, P.A. 78-331, § 4, eff. June 6, 1978; 1979, P.A. 79-531, § 1; 1979, P.A. 79-618, § 1; 1980, P.A. 80-403, § 7, eff. May 23, 1980; 1981, P.A. 81-219, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 1982; 1982, P.A. 82-327, § 5; 1983, P.A. 83-168, § 3; 1983, P.A. 83-188, § 1; 1983, P.A. 83-587, § 78, eff. July 14, 1983; 1984, P.A. 84-232, §§ 1, 2, eff. May 24, 1984; 1986, P.A. 86-97, § 2, eff. May 8, 1986; 1986, P.A. 86-229, §§ 1, 2; 1987, P.A. 87-278, § 1, eff. June 17, 1987; 1988, P.A. 88-213, § 1, eff. July 1, 1988; 1988, P.A. 88-221, § 1; 1983 June Sp.Sess., P.A. 83-3, § 1; 1990, P.A. 90-334, § 1; 1993, P.A. 93-434, § 18, eff. June 30, 1993; 1995, P.A. 95-7; 1995, P.A. 95-320; 1997, P.A. 97-199, § 5, eff. July 1, 1997; 1997, P.A. 97-320, § 4, eff. July 1, 1997; 1998, P.A. 98-188, § 2; 1999, P.A. 99-129; 1999, P.A. 99-188, § 3, eff. June 23, 1999; 2000, P.A. 00-136, § 7, July 1, 2000; 2001, P.A. 01-128, § 1; 2003, P.A. 03-19, § 19, eff. May 12, 2003; 2006, P.A. 06-185, § 7; 2007, P.A. 07-141, § 4, eff. June 25, 2007; 2008, P.A. 08-184, § 34; 2010, P.A. 10-152, § 7; 2011, P.A. 11-80, § 122, eff. July 1, 2011; 2012, P.A. 12-146, § 2; 2013, P.A. 13-103, § 1; 2013, P.A. 13-181, § 1; 2015, P.A. 15-42, § 9; 2015, P.A. 15-100, § 1; 2016, P.A. 16-208, § 3; 2021, June Sp.Sess., P.A. 21-1, § 84, eff. Oct. 1, 2021.)