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LEGISLATIVE ALERT
Connecticut General Assembly 2011 Session
January 5 to June 8
H.B. No. 5368
An Act Extending Certain Pet Shop Licensee Requirements to Persons and Organizations that Import Animals for Adoption.
On April 5, this bill was entered on the House Calendar, No. 224.
The purpose of this bill is to establish licensure requirements and create accountability for persons and organizations that engage in the importation of dogs and cats into the state for adoption, sale or transfer. Animal importers that offer dogs and cats to pet shops licensed in accordance with State statutes would not be affected. It also establishes significant fines for failure of an importer to register with the Department of Agriculture, or to provide advance notice to the Department of Agriculture and the municipal zoning enforcement officer of the town where a sale, adoption or transfer of animals will take place at an outdoor location or one that is open to the public.
At the public hearing on February 23 Those offering testimony in support:
The Connecticut Veterinary Medical Association, represented by Arnold L. Goldman, DVM;
Eva Ceranowicz, DVM; Robert Belden, DVM; and Gayle Block, DVM.Â
The testimony describes a significant and growing problem.
Laura Reid, owner & President of Fish Mart, Inc. (if amended)
Private Individuals: Peter Kuck, West Hartford, CT (if amended); Donna Keegan of Southbury, Barbara St. John of Canton, and Juliana Ely of Higganum (medical problems and financial hardships with adopted dogs)
Offering testimony in opposition:
Susan B. Linker, Vice President, Our Companions Domestic Animal Sanctuary, objected to the grouping of all importation organizations without regard to size, profit/not-for-profit standing, or volunteer base.
The legislature’s Environment Committee endorsed this bill by unanimous vote on March 18.
The full text of H.B. 5368 is included as an attachment to this Alert.
Note: A white paper written by Dr. Goldman describes the unregulated importation and “adoption†problem in great detail.Â
If you want to lend your support to this very important bill, please contact your state representatives and senators and express that support. Use letters, phone calls and email messages.  Any of the information in this Alert may be freely used for that purpose. It is imperative that we put a stop to the unregulated importation of animals that are diseased and have infirmities.
The CDF member club officers and delegates who receive this Alert are urged to forward it to all members of their clubs. The more voices we have in Hartford, the better we will be heard, and those voices should be raised before this bill comes to a vote in the House. Correspondence with our legislators should always be polite, emphasizing that our views are intended to assist them in making informed decisions on pending legislation. Legislators usually do not have enough input from their constituents. They pay little attention to form letters and canned phone messages. They do heed personal opinions and information on personal experiences.
Note: CDF Position Statement
The following procedure is for finding and communicating with your legislators via email:
- Go to the General Assembly web site at www.cga.ct.gov.
- On the left side of the home page, highlight (do not click) House to find your representative or Senate to find your senator.
- On the submenu, click on Members to bring up a page with House members or Senate members in alphabetical order.*
- On the line for your legislator, click on the gold globe if you want to access the legislator’s web site, or click on the envelope icon to bring up a write mail page addressed to the legislator and send your message.
*If you do not know who your representative or senator is, click on Find Your Legislator on the submenu to bring up information entry boxes. Enter your street number, street name and Town, and click Submit. Scroll down to the table showing your state and federal legislators. Click on a gold globe or envelope icon as in step 4.
If you wish to phone your legislator at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford:
Democratic Representatives 1-800-842-1902  or  1-860-240-8500
Republican Representatives 1-800-842-1423 or  1-860-240-8700
Democratic Senators            1-800-842-1420 or   1-860-240-8600
Republican Senators            1-800-842-1421 or   1-860-240-8800
For U.S. Postal Service mail, the address is:
(Legislator’s Title and Name)
Legislative Office Building, Room No. (see legislator’s web site for number)
Hartford, CT 06106-1591
Connecticut Dog Federation, Inc.
Position Statement Relative
To Substitute Bill H.B. No. 5368Â Â
An Act Extending Certain Pet Shop Licensee Requirements to Persons
and Organizations that Import Animals for Adoption
The Connecticut Dog Federation (CDF) SUPPORTS Substitute Bill H.B. No. 5368 as presently written. CDF is an association of thirty-six dog clubs representing approximately two thousand residents of this state. They support the mission of CDF which includes the encouragement and promotion of the welfare of dogs. That interest includes not only pure bred dogs, but also those that are in need of rescue and adoption regardless of their parentage. Many of those clubs provide rescue and adoption services for their specific breeds.
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The State of Connecticut has failed for too long to recognize that uncontrolled importation of “rescued†animals into the state for “adoption†causes several adverse effects, including: (1) putting at risk the health of its citizens and their lawfully bred and owned animals by contagious diseases and potentially deadly parasites carried in imported animals, (2) subjecting many unwary recipients of such animals to extraordinary veterinary bills for treatment of undisclosed diseases or infirmities, and (3) depriving healthy animals in state pounds and shelters the chance for legitimate adoption. Loss of tax revenue from undisclosed “adoption†transactions is also significant.
State statutes require dog breeders to operate under kennel licenses, and allow for inspection by Animal Control Officers of homes and other premises where kennels are located. It appears illogical that such licensing, accountability and inspection requirements would not in some equivalent form apply to importers of “rescued†animals for “adoptionâ€.
In recent years, this state has not experienced a problem with overcrowded dog pounds or animal shelters due to effective spay/neuter programs, including that of the Department of Agriculture. To satisfy the need for low-cost animal adoptions, a lucrative business has emerged, particularly in the south and Midwest, to breed and provide “adoption†animals to Connecticut and other states.
This bill is a major step in requiring reasonable accountability for importers of animals that are not licensed pet shops or suppliers to such pet shops. It will be a deterrent to those who presently engage in unscrupulous “rescue†activities to the detriment of the animals involved and to the unsuspecting victims of those activities.
Revised: April 6, 2011
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