Yesterday, two Connecticut General Assembly Joint Committees separately voted to advance bills supported by the American Kennel Club (AKC) and the Connecticut Federation of Dog Clubs and Responsible Dog Owners (CFDRDO).
SB 932, relative to protections for police K-9 and volunteer search and rescue dogs, was unanimously supported by members of the Public Safety and Security Committee. As a noncontroversial measure, SB 932 will be scheduled for a consent vote by the full Senate. Details about the bill and AKC’s request for support can be viewed here.
HB 6635 has been amended by the Insurance and Real Estate Committee and voted favorably. The amended HB 6635 would prohibit homeowners’ insurance and renters’ insurance policies from discriminating based on harboring or owning any dog of a specific breed or mixture of breeds, as noted in AKC’s prior alert. It also amends laws relating to damage by dogs to people or property, as follows:
- Adds a “vicious propensity” definition to describe dogs that without provocation, attack, bite, or endanger the safety of people or others’ property.
- In order to collect damages, requires that a person injured by a dog who files a lawsuit against the owner or keeper provide evidence that they knew or ought to have known of their dog’s vicious propensity and failed to restrain the dog. Dog owners would no longer be held directly liable, and their insurer automatically paying for damages, when a dog has caused injury to another.
AKC is grateful for the Joint Committees’ support. Appreciation is also extended to the Connecticut club members and dog owners who contacted the committees. AKC will continue to monitor SB 932 and amended HB 6635 as they progress.
For more information on these or other legislative issues in Connecticut, contact AKC’s Government Relations Department at 919-816-3720 or doglaw@akc.org.