Category Archives: Connecticut

Connecticut Governor signs HB6311 outlawing breed discrimination

Posted on June 5, 2013 by | 9 comments

Connecticut HB 6311 has been signed into law by the Governor and now becomes the 15th state to outlaw breed discrimination.

Like the recently passed Nevada Assembly Bill 110, Connecticut HB6311 has no home rule exemption or grandfather clause.  This was an easy sell because currently there are no municipalities in Connecticut known to have a breed discriminatory law.  Grandfather clauses are often added when a municipality has a law that they are fighting to keep, often lobbying against the law to prohibit breed discrimination.

It is also interesting to note that, also like the Nevada bill, HB6311 passed with a very small minority of dissenting votes.  There were only 4 votes against the bill’s passage in the Senate, the bill passed unanimously in the House.

This is not to say that passing these bills is a simple task.  There is a lot of educating that must be done to make law makers understand what breed discriminatory laws entail in cost to both municipalities and citizens. What this does point to is an increased willingness by law makers to address the issues that prevent municipalities from becoming the safe and humane communities they deserve to be.

Congratulations Connecticut!  We look forward to finding out who will be number 16 in the rapidly growing list of states that do not want breed discrimination.

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Connecticut HB6311 to prohibit breed discrimination moves to the Governor’s desk

Posted on May 30, 2013 by | Comments Off on Connecticut HB6311 to prohibit breed discrimination moves to the Governor’s desk

This Thursday the Connecticut bill to out law breed discriminatory laws on the state level passed the full Senate with a vote of 30-4.  The bill now moves to the Governor to be signed into law. The bill must go to the House for concurrence first but this is usually a very simple matter especially since the bill was voted for unanimously.

If the Governor signs the bill, this will not only be the 15th state to out-law breed discriminatory laws but it would also be the second state this year to do so, following Nevada AB110 that was just signed into law.

If signed the bill would go into effect October 1st 2013. There is no home rule exemption in this bill and there is also no grandfather clause.  This means that any place with a discriminatory law in place would have to repeal it.

Connecticut residents: Please reach out to Governor Dannel P. Malloy and ask that he sign this bill, ensuring that the real causes of dangerous dogs are addressed at the municipal level.

You can e-mail the Governor via the states website.

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Connecticut HB6311, a bill to prohibit breed discrimination, moves forward

Posted on May 10, 2013 by | Comments Off on Connecticut HB6311, a bill to prohibit breed discrimination, moves forward

Yesterday Connecticut House Bill 6311, a bill to outlaw breed discriminatory laws, passed the next step by receiving a favorable report from the Senate Judiciary Committee. It has been reserved for a full Senate vote and has been placed on Senate Calendar Number 556.  If this bill clears the full Senate vote it will go to the Governor to be signed into law and will become effective October of this year.

It was reported a few days ago that this bill cleared the House with a unanimous vote of 142-0. This is an impressive vote, but not really that remarkable because the vast majority of legislators come down on the side of common sense breed neutral laws that protect both the citizens and their rights.

More and more states are recognizing that breed discrimination is something that needs to be avoided, and the citizens need protection from.

Connecticut residents: Please reach out to your Senators and ask them to support this bill.

You can find you Senators here.

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Connecticut HB6311 to prevent breed discrimination advances to full house

Posted on April 23, 2013 by | Comments Off on Connecticut HB6311 to prevent breed discrimination advances to full house

In February, Connecticut state legislators introduced a bill that would prohibit municipalities from enacting breed discriminatory laws.

This bill came back from the fiscal analysis with a report that there will be no fiscal impact with this bill.  This means that enacting this bill will not create any financial burden for the state or any local municipalities. This is not uncommon as breed neutral dangerous dog laws are financially far more benign that breed discriminatory ones, and bills of this nature do not mandate any changes for every municipality, but rather create a prohibition against unjust laws.

After a unanimously favorable committee report the bill was officially referred to the full House where it will be voted on. Should this bill be passed in the House it would move to the Senate for a repeat of the same process.

Connecticut residents:Please continue to reach out to your representatives and politely ask them to support this bill. It is important that when these bills move forward to the next step support is shown for them so legislators have that fresh in their minds when the bill is heard.

You can find your specific representatives on the states website.

Previous alert for HB6311

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Connecticut bill, HB6311, to prohibit breed specific legislation is set for a hearing

Posted on February 20, 2013 by | 2 comments

In our post “Best Friends Alert for Maryland and Connecticut” we reported that a bill had been filed that would prohibit breed specific legislation on the state level in Connecticut.

After the first committee meeting the bill was reserved for a public subject matter hearing. The bill has also been renamed.  The updated tracking for HB 6311 can be found here.

February 20th the bill had its hearing, though the results of this hearing have yet to be released.

An interview with the bills sponsor can be found on the Wallingford Patch.

Connecticut residents: Reach out now to you legislators and express support for HB 6311. Contact information for Connecticut legislators can be found here.  If you uncomfortable writing your own communication Best Friends Animal Society has a form you can fill out and modify here. Phone calls also go a very long way for showing support.  A very simple statement that as a constituent you would like them to support HB 6311 is more than adequate.

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Best Friends alerts for Maryland and Connecticut

Posted on January 29, 2013 by | 2 comments

Best Friends Animal Society has issued the following alerts:

Maryland: A bill has been introduced that would prevent insurance companies from discriminating against both home owners and renters based on the breed of their dog. Under this bill an insurance company would be prohibited from refusing to renew or refuse a policy based solely on the breed of the applicants dog. It would also prohibit insurance companies from refusing liability coverage for damages cause by the dog of the insured.

Maryland residents, please reach out to your representatives via the Best Friends action alert form. Let them know you want them to support SB296.  This bill would not only protect dog owners but it also protects victims of dog bites from all breeds by making sure the insurance company must take care of their expenses. This would be a great step forward for any community but especially for Maryland after the impact of Tracey v. Solesky.

A hearing has been scheduled for February 5th which is the same date as the hearing for SB 160 the Senate bill to address Tracey v. Solesky. Reach out and let your voice be heard.

Connecticut: A bill has been introduced that would allow communities to institute dangerous dog laws as long as they are not breed specific. The passage of this bill would be a great step forward for all the people of Connecticut, dog owners and non-dog owners alike.

HB 5975 has been referred to the Joint Committee on Planning and Development.

Best Friends has set up another easy to use contact form for Connecticut residents to express support for HB 5975.

Connecticut residents, please reach out and tell your representatives that you want them to support this bill.  More states recognizing the need to outlaw breed specific legislation but the voice of the people is needed to confirm they are doing the right thing.

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East Coast bike relay event to protest BSL, Aug 29–Sept 2

Posted on July 15, 2012 by | 2 comments

Bless the Bullys Pit Bull Rescue & Education and Southern Ontario Animal Rescue (SOAR) invite you to take part in a unique effort to bring awareness to breed specific legislation, rescue, and responsible dog ownership.

“Bikers and Bullys Without Borders” is a bike ride from Miami, Florida to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and is an effort to demonstrate a united stance against BSL. Just as BSL has no borders, the effort to stop it knows no borders, as well.

The ride is taking place from August 29 to September 2, 2012. It starts in Miami, FL and goes up the east coast finishing in Toronto, Canada.

We are dedicating the ride to Lennox and the Barnes family, the people who loved and fought to save his life. After a two year battle, Lennox was killed last week by the Belfast, Ireland council simply because he looked like a “pit bull.” We are having a stuffed Lennox made, and along each stop on the route, he will be handed off to the next group of riders, along with any notes of condolence and support to the Barnes family. After the ride, both the stuffed Lennox and all the cards and letters will be sent to the Barnes family to show that although we are separated by thousands of miles, we stand united with them in their fight, and we all mourn the death of an innocent animal.

You don’t need to be part of an animal welfare organization to take part in the ride…you only need to have a desire to see BSL come to an end so that no dog and no family ever face the heartbreak and anguish of breed specific legislation again.

SOAR is organizing the troops for a vote on the Ontario pit bull ban in September, and using the bike rally as a fundraiser for their efforts to end BSL there. However, those taking parts in the states can simply use the ride to bring awareness to the fight against BSL, and to promote rescue and responsible dog ownership.

We need every leg of the ride filled – even if its just one bike – so that Lennox and our messages to the family can make it to Canada. Please consider taking part in this very special event, and share this with your friends and bike clubs who may be interested in taking part. Just like the effort to stop BSL, we really need YOU to make this happen!

More information on the ride can be found at the SOAR website, or you can contact me at jodi@blessthebullys.com. The route for the ride can be found here.

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Posted in Canada, Community Initiatives, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia

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