(a) The Commissioner of Agriculture shall (1) establish an animal population control program to provide for spaying and neutering services to eligible owners of dogs and cats, (2) establish an account to be known as the “animal population control account” that may contain any moneys required by law to be deposited in the account and any balance remaining in said account at the end of any fiscal year shall be carried forward in said account for the fiscal year next succeeding, (3) create a standard dog licensing form and distribute said form to veterinarians or the operators of pet shops, pet grooming facilities, municipal pounds or dog training facilities who voluntarily agree to make such forms available for the convenience of dog owners, (4) establish a program to assist registered nonprofit rescue groups with the sterilization and vaccination of feral cats, and (5) establish a program to sterilize and vaccinate dogs and cats owned by a low-income person.
(b) Not more than ten per cent of the funds deposited in the animal population control account in accordance with subsection (f) of section 14-21h, subsection (a) of section 22-338, section 22-380f and section 22-380l shall be used for the sterilization and vaccination of feral cats program in accordance with subdivision (4) of subsection (a) of this section.
(c) Not more than twenty per cent of the funds deposited in the animal population control account in accordance with subsection (f) of section 14-21h, subsection (a) of section 22-338, section 22-380f and section 22-380l shall be used for the sterilization and vaccination of dogs and cats owned by a low-income person pursuant to the program established under subdivision (5) of subsection (a) of this section.
(d) The commissioner may solicit and accept funds from any public or private source of help to carry out the goals of the programs established under subsection (a) of this section, including, but not limited to, the sterilization of feral cats as provided in section 22-339d. A donor may earmark funds for any or all of such programs.
(e) Any revenue collected pursuant to the provisions of sections 22-380f and 22-380l shall be deposited in the animal population control account. All money in the account shall be used by the commissioner exclusively for (1) the implementation and promotion of the animal population control program, (2) the costs associated with the administration of such program, provided not more than two hundred twenty-five thousand dollars may be expended for administrative costs per year, and (3) reimbursement of persons completing a training program pursuant to subsections (c) and (d) of section 22-328, for the costs of such program, provided moneys in the account may also be used to provide reimbursement to any municipality for the costs of providing temporary care to any animal pursuant to section 22-329a if such temporary care exceeded thirty days in duration and such costs exceeded the amount of any surety bond or cash bond posted pursuant to subsection (f) of section 22-329a, provided the total annual reimbursement to municipalities from said account for such purpose shall not exceed fifty thousand dollars.
(f) The commissioner may suspend any or all of the programs at any time that the amount of money available in the account is less than three hundred thousand dollars. The commissioner may reinstate any of the suspended programs when such amount exceeds three hundred thousand dollars.
(P.A. 92-187, S. 3, 10; P.A. 94-95, S. 19; P.A. 96-243, S. 3; P.A. 01-87, S. 3; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146(e); P.A. 04-189, S. 1; P.A. 07-105, S. 4; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-5, S. 36; P.A. 12-108, S. 3; P.A. 13-99, S. 1; P.A. 14-205, S. 2.)
History: P.A. 94-95 changed name of fund from “Animal Population Control Fund” to “animal population control account”; P.A. 96-243 amended Subsec. (b) to authorize use of the account for sterilization of feral cats as provided in Sec. 22-339d; P.A. 01-87 amended Subsec. (a) to make technical changes and add provisions requiring Commissioner of Agriculture to create a standard dog licensing form available for dog owners and allowing the commissioner to set aside up to $40,000 each fiscal year for providing assistance to charitable programs that sterilize and vaccinate feral cats, and amended Subsec. (d) to change $400,000 to $300,000; 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; P.A. 07-105 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting provision re set aside for charitable programs, adding provision re operators of pet shops, pet grooming facilities, municipal pounds or dog training facilities in Subdiv. (3) and adding Subdivs. (4) and (5), added new Subsecs. (b) and (c), redesignated existing Subsecs. (b) to (d) as Subsecs. (d) to (f), amended Subsec. (d) to make a conforming change and allow donors to earmark funds, amended Subsec. (e) to increase limit on administrative costs from $180,000 to $225,000 and made technical changes in Subsec. (f); June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-5 made technical changes in Subsec. (c); P.A. 12-108 amended Subsec. (e) to designate existing provisions re use of account money as Subdivs. (1) and (2), add Subdiv. (3) re expenditure of money from account for reimbursement of persons completing animal control officer training program and make technical changes, effective June 8, 2012; P.A. 13-99 amended Subsec. (c) to increase maximum percentage of account funds used for sterilization and vaccination of dogs and cats owned by low-income persons from 10 per cent to 20 per cent, effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 14-205 amended Subsec. (e) by adding provision allowing account to be used for providing reimbursement to municipality for costs of providing temporary care to animal if temporary care exceeded 30 days and costs exceeded amount of bond posted, effective June 13, 2014.