Connecticut Votes for Animals. Nonprofit. Nonpartisan. Mobilizing the public to support animals through their political choices.

Connecticut Votes for Animals is a not-for-profit 501(c)(4) organization.

CVA News

HSLF releases Humane Scorecard for members of Congress

1/24/12: See how Connecticut lawmakers are doing at the national level to help protect animals! Also, our own Senator Blumenthal was one of only 3 senators to score the highest possible rating: Read the report here.

Action alert: Tell Governor Malloy that bear hunting should never be allowed in Connecticut.

1/12/2012: Governor Malloy is reviewing a proposal to establish a bear hunt lottery system in Connecticut. If the proposal wins approval in the legislature, it will constitute a significant step toward legalizing bear hunting in our state.

Humans in Connecticut have effectively stolen the natural territory of many of our wild animals to build our homes and towns. When these animals are forced to encroach on our developed sites, we must find humane ways to respond. Efforts in land conservation, animal relocation and restricting the development in our woods and forests is the only humane and evolved approach.

This recent movement toward bear hunting is still new, and now is the time to contact Governor Malloy and make him aware that Connecticut voters will not tolerate bear hunting -- before the movement gathers more momentum.

Please take a moment to send a polite email to Governor Malloy at governor.malloy@ct.gov and call him at 1-800-406-1527.

* Thank him for his work and service he provides to the State
* Let him know that you are a voter, and give your town of residency
* Tell him that you do not want to see bear hunting in CT, and that, should bears further encroach on towns, he should entertain humane methods of managing them - not hunting proposals.

See also a recent article in the Courant on this issue:
http://www.courant.com/business/hc-bear-hunt-lottery-deep-20120110,0,7380330.story

Please help support Connecticut's animals!

Animal rescue organizations have been operating for centuries, doing courageous and compassionate work, yet the problem of animal suffering persists because the laws that protect animals need to be dramatically improved.

The work of CT Votes for Animals is crucial to provide legal protections for Connecticut’s animals. But we cannot do this without you. Please consider making a generous donation to our legislative fund today!

Click here for a list of our past legislative accomplishments!

Importation video now available!
Watch the 2-part video of the importation forum on our Web site.

Importation Forum Handouts

Handouts made available to Animal Importation Law Forum attendees, including Fact Sheet and Registration and Event Notice forms.

Animal Importation Law Fact Sheet - Contains a summary of the major points of the new law's requirements.
Animal Importer Registration Form and Event Notice form - This link takes you to the DoAg Web site, where there is additional information on the law, an application to register your organization as an importer, and a suggested form to use when notifying towns and the DoAg of adoption events.
Pet Shop Regulations - This document is provided for the purposes of comparison.

A videorecording of the program will be available soon!

A successful Legislative Session for Connecticut's animals!

The Connecticut legislative session has ended, and with the support of several stand-out legislators – Representatives Diana Urban, Auden Grogins, Bryan Hurlburt, and Clark Chapin, in particular – and the combined efforts of the ASPCA and Connecticut Votes for Animals, it was the best yet for the Constitution State’s animals!

While a bill to allow Sunday bow hunting (HB 5158) and a bill amendment to make permanent outdoor muzzling a penalty under the state’s already archaic dangerous dog law (amendment to HB 5011) did not advance, several important humane bills passed the legislature – all with unanimous support in the Senate – and have now become law:

HB 6226 – An Act Concerning Cross-Reporting of Child Abuse and Animal Cruelty. Helps ensure children's and animals' safety by requiring thatDepartment of Children and Families caseworkers report animal cruelty to the Department of Agriculture and also investigate child abuse upon the receipt of reports of animal cruelty at the same address.

HB 6303 - An Act Concerning the Treatment of Ill and Injured Animals in Municipal Animal Shelters. Both encourages Connecticut’s public pounds to provide impounded animals with better care by working with nonprofit rescue organizations, and also requires the state Department of Agriculture to investigate complaints regarding any animal control officer’s failure to provide proper care to the animals in his or her charge. In addition, requires that pound animals be posted online for the duration of their impoundment and offers civil and criminal immunity to veterinarians who discount their fees for treating pound animals.

HB 5368 – Animal Importation: Requires animal importers to register, give notice of public adoption events, have an animal examined by a veterinarian within 48 hours of arrival in Connecticut, and maintain a record of veterinary care. Does not require an animal’s quarantine and permits only the inspection of records and animals, not the inspection of an animal importer’s private residence

What You Can Do

Please email your Connecticut state senator and representative to thank them for their work on behalf of animals. Click here: http://cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/CGAFindLeg.asp now to find your legislators' contact information. Don't forget to mention in your email that you are a Connecticut resident and voter.

Thank you for your help, Connecticut !!!

CVA’s 2010 Legislative Accomplishments:

Dog Chaining:
In May of 2010, CVA successfully passed the Dog Chaining Law, which provides protection for dogs who are cruelly chained.

Rescue Animal Importation:
CVA prevented passage of a harmful bill to regulate rescue animal importation. We are currently engaged in productive dialogue with legislators that we hope will result in a more balanced bill in the next legislative session.

CVA 2009 Accomplishments