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.

(1949 Rev., S. 3374; 1949, S. 709b; 1953, S. 1812d; 1959, P.A. 637, S. 2; 1961, P.A. 67; 1963, P.A. 613, S. 1; 1969, P.A. 81, S. 1; 423, S. 1; 1971, P.A. 872, S. 446, 448; 1972, P.A. 180, S. 1; P.A. 77-314, S. 1; P.A. 82-91, S. 14, 38; P.A. 91-46, S. 10, 12; 91-59, S. 1; P.A. 93-435, S. 29, 95; P.A. 98-12, S. 3, 22; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146(e); P.A. 04-189, S. 1.)

History: 1959 act replaced commissioner of agriculture with commissioner of agriculture, conservation and natural resources; 1961 act replaced commissioner of agriculture, conservation and natural resources with commissioner of agriculture and natural resources; 1963 act defined “regional warden” and “pet shop”; 1969 acts replaced definitions re wardens with definitions re canine control officers, clarified definitions of “commercial kennel” and “pet shop” and defined “grooming facility”; 1971 act replaced commissioner of agriculture and natural resources with commissioner of agriculture; 1972 act substituted “animals” for “dogs” in definition of “pet shop” and defined “animals”; P.A. 77-314 defined “training facility”; P.A. 82-91 expanded definition of commercial kennel to include a veterinarian hospital boarding or grooming dogs for nonmedical purposes; P.A. 91-46 included references to cats in the definition of “commercial kennel”; P.A. 91-59 replaced references to “regional canine control officer”, “assistant regional canine control officer” and “local dog warden” with references to “regional animal control officer”, “assistant regional animal control officer” and “municipal animal control officer”, respectively; P.A. 93-435 made certain technical and grammatical revisions to conform section to Connecticut's standard statutory style, effective June 28, 1993; P.A. 98-12 changed “canine control officer” to “animal control officer” in Subdiv. (2), effective July 1, 1998; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 replaced Commissioner of Agriculture with Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-189 repealed Sec. 146 of June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, thereby reversing the merger of the Departments of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective June 1, 2004.

“Kennel” defined. 84 C. 640. One who treats dog as living at his home and undertakes to control his actions is the owner, keeper or harborer. 117 C. 309; 119 C. 650. Both husband and wife within definition of “keeper”. Id. One having temporary custody of dog was not “keeper”. 126 C. 123. Defendants were “keepers” as a matter of law. 138 C. 718. Cited. 139 C. 628; 221 C. 14; 241 C. 319.

Cited. 7 CA 19; 9 CA 495. Exercising control over the actions of a dog as well as feeding, watering, housing or otherwise caring for a dog can be evidence of “keeper” status. 120 CA 324.

What constitutes harboring or having in possession. 5 CS 150. Owners of premises where dog was kept considered “keepers” and held liable for damage done by dog. 36 CS 156.