New Haven, Connecticut

Sec. 7-14. – Unclaimed or infected dogs, cats, wild or farm animals.

(b) Pursuant to C.G.S. Section 22-380f, as amended from time to time, and unless otherwise provided, the animal shelter shall not sell or give away any unspayed or unneutered dog or cat to any person unless the person buying or adopting such animal provides a lawfully authorized amount to such shelter. The city shall apply all funds received pursuant to this section into the state animal population control account established under C.G.S. Section 22-380g, as amended from time to time. Upon receiving such payment, the animal shelter shall provide a voucher for the purpose of sterilization and vaccination benefits to the person buying or adopting such animal. Such voucher shall be on a form provided by the commissioner and signed by the eligible owner. Such voucher shall become void after sixty (60) days from the date of adoption unless a participating veterinarian certifies that the dog or cat is medically unfit for surgery. Such certification shall be on a form provided by the commissioner and specify a date by which such dog or cat may be fit for sterilization. If the surgery is performed more than thirty (30) days after such specified date, the voucher shall become void. In the case of a dog or cat that has been previously sterilized or is permanently medically unfit for sterilization as determined by a participating veterinarian, the voucher shall be void, and the eligible owner may apply to the commissioner of agriculture for a refund.

Sec. 7-31. – Breeders permit required.

(a) Effective July 1, 2019, any person wanting to breed a dog within the city must obtain a breeding permit from the animal control division of the city police department prior to breeding his or her dog. No person, as principal, agent, employee, or otherwise, shall breed any dog, at any place within the city without a breeder’s permit. “Breeding” shall be deemed to have occurred upon the production of offspring, whether such offspring result from sexual activity or artificial insemination and whether such sexual activity was intentional or the result of improper confinement.

(b) Each completed application for a breeder’s permit must be submitted to the animal control division of the city police department. Each application for a breeding permit shall be accompanied by a fee of one hundred dollars ($100.00), and no breeding permit shall be issued until the application fee is paid.

(d) Each breeding permit is issued to the person, not the dog, and, therefore, a breeding permit cannot be sold, purchased, traded, or otherwise conveyed from the person to whom the breeding permit was initially granted.

(e) No breeding permit shall be granted to a person until the following conditions are met:

(1) The applicant has submitted the appropriate forms required by the supervisor of animal control for a breeding permit.

(2) The applicant has an indoor space and outdoor space in which to breed the dogs and raise the offspring that will contain the dogs, as well as, provide safe, sanitary, and humane conditions, appropriate for breeding a specific breed, which satisfies all applicable provisions of the City Code of Ordinances and state animal welfare laws.

(3) The animal control division has evaluated the physical and behavioral characteristics regarding the suitability of the dogs to be bred.

(4) The dogs that the application identifies as being used for breeding must be microchipped.

(f) The animal control division may deny any application for a breeding permit if it finds that one (1) or more of the following has occurred:

(1) The applicant has failed to appropriately license the pet to be bred.

(2) The applicant has a history of allowing dogs to run loose or escape, has otherwise been found to be neglectful, has had a dog identified as a nuisance, or has previously been determined to have violated the provisions of this chapter.

(3) The applicant has applied for a breeding permit within the last ten (10) months.

Sec. 7-32. – Inspection of premises to be used for breeding purposes.

(a) The animal control officer or such designee shall inspect the premises to be used for breeding purposes and conduct the evaluation set forth in the above section. The animal control officer or a designee shall give the applicant twenty-four-hour notice of the inspection and shall conduct such inspection at a reasonable time when the applicant or a representative is present.

(b) If the applicant refuses to allow the animal control officer or a designee to conduct such inspection or cannot be contacted by the animal control officer or a designee to give notice of the inspection within two (2) weeks of an initial attempt, the application shall be denied.

(1) Up to one (1) year after issuing the breeding permit, the animal control officer or a designee shall have the option on one (1) or more occasions to inspect the premises being used for breeding purposes to ensure that the conditions required to receive a permit are continuing to be met. The animal control officer or a designee shall give the permit holder twenty-four-hour notice of the inspection and shall conduct such inspection at a reasonable time when the permit holder or a representative is present.

(2) If the permit holder refuses to allow the animal control officer or a designee to conduct such inspection or cannot be contacted by the animal control officer or a designee to give notice of the inspection within two (2) weeks of its initial attempt, the animal control officer or a designee will determine that the permit holder is conducting breeding activities in violation of this chapter, and the breeding permit shall be revoked.

Sec. 7-33. – Litter permits.

(a) Breeding permit holders must apply for and obtain a litter permit for every litter produced by the breeding permit dogs. Breeding permit holders should apply to the animal control division of the city police department for a litter permit, before the dogs are bred. A litter permit application shall be accompanied by a litter permit fee in the amount of twenty-five dollars ($25.00). A litter permit shall be applied and granted for every litter to be produced by any animal owned, held, or maintained by the permit holder.

(b) In the event that a permit holder or an individual breeder fails to apply for a permit, before the female dog enters its gestation period, the animal control division may issue the litter permit without penalty if it determines that the failure to acquire a permit was not in bad faith.

(c) No more than two (2) litter permits will be issued to breeding permit holders within one (1) years’ time unless the permit holder also holds a kennel license under C.G.S. Section 22-342.

(d) All puppies from each litter shall be microchipped.

Sec. 7-34. – Enforcement of breeding and litter permit requirements.

(a) Any person found breeding dogs without the required breeding and/or litter permits shall be in violation of this chapter and shall be subject to the following penalties:

(1) Each dog involved in illegal breeding activities in violation of the preceding sections shall be impounded and held at the city animal shelter or another suitable boarding facility until any applicable licenses are issued or the applicable fines have been paid. The owner of the involved dog shall be subject to a fine of two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) or the state maximum fine whichever is higher and shall be responsible for all boarding fees, while the dog is impounded at the city animal shelter.

(2) Each person, who breeds a litter of puppies without a litter permit in violation of the preceding sections, shall be fined in the amount of twenty dollars ($20.00) for each puppy in the litter.

(3) The fines imposed under this chapter are in addition to any other fines that may be levied against the person under other ordinances pertaining to the illegal breeding of dogs.

(b) No dogs will be returned to any premises which are in violation of the zoning ordinances.