The state-level rules every owner and walker in Connecticut should know. Local leash lengths, licensing and off-leash rules are set by each city — find those on the city pages below.
Connecticut (C.G.S. § 22-357) makes the owner OR keeper strictly liable for any damage a dog does — no scienter, no negligence needed — and under the keeper test, walking a dog is literally an example of being a keeper.
Connecticut (C.G.S. § 22-357) imposes strict liability on the owner or keeper for any damage a dog does to a person or property — no scienter and no negligence needed (it abrogated the common-law scienter rule, Granniss v. Weber). It covers non-bite injuries too, such as an exuberant unleashed dog knocking someone down. A July 1, 2024 amendment updated the statute to read the owner, keeper, or both, reinforcing that both can be liable.
Evidence of being a keeper includes giving a dog food and water, walking it, or letting it stay on your property, and courts require actual dominion and control — so a person actively handling the dog is a keeper. The only defenses are that the victim was trespassing in a serious sense (more than mere entry) or was teasing, tormenting, or abusing the dog; children under seven are presumed innocent of both.
Liability is joint and several where multiple dogs or owners are involved (§ 22-356), and a common-law negligence / negligence per se route (a leash or at-large violation) is available alongside the statute. A bite triggers a 14-day quarantine. Connecticut applies modified comparative negligence with a 51% bar, and the personal-injury statute of limitations is three years (§ 52-577).
This is general information about Connecticut law, not legal advice. Confirm current rules with the official state and municipal sources.