CVA 2009 Legislative Session Accomplishments

Puppy Mill Law

Public Act 09-228 Discourages pet store traffic in puppy mill dogs, by requiring pet stores to reimburse consumers up to $500 in vet expenses for sick animals they sell. It also required that puppy certificates of origin be placed within 10 feet of an animal for sale. (This was revised in 2010 to require that origin information be placed on the dog's cage.)
Relevant section of the statutes: http://search.cga.state.ct.us/sur/chap435.htm#Sec22-344b.htm
Note: In 2012, this law was revised to clarify that customers do not need to return the sick animal in order to receive the reimbursement from the pet shop from which the dog was purchased.

Outdoor Cat Regulations

Raised concerns that regulations proposed by the Connecticut Department of Agriculture to prohibit unvaccinated animals from being in public settings could result in the trapping and killing of outdoor cats.
Successfully lobbied, in conjunction with the ASPCA, for a statement by the department’s commissioner that unequivocally notes that the proposed regulations do not apply to either “feral cat colonies or the feral cat community.”

Pound Seizure for Large Animals

Raised concerns that proposed legislation to contain “roaming livestock” would permit the commercial sale of impounded animals – potentially authorizing, for example, the sale of horses for slaughter.
Successfully lobbied, in conjunction with the ASPCA to remove the problematic provision.

Companion Animal Importation

Despite strong agency and legislative support for a proposed bill to regulate companion animal importation, CVA and the ASPCA, prevented passage of this harmful proposal that we argued would have prevented Connecticut residents from rescuing animals outside the state.
Initiated a productive dialogue with legislators that we hope will result in a more balanced bill in the next legislative session.
CVA, in conjunction with the Animal Welfare Federation of Connecticut (AWFCT) and the ASPCA, will hold an educational forum on this issue in the fall. For more information about “Precious Cargo: Animal Transport Laws for the Health and Welfare of Animals, Consumers and the State of CT”, click here.