We don't handle domestic animals...that means dogs, cats, guinea pigs, horses, cows, chickens, ferrets (unless you're hunting with them), llamas, alpacas, sheep, goats, etc.

There is a regulation regarding keeping a dog on a leash in state parks and forests. If you are ice fishing and the dogs are on the ice, unless you are immediately adjacent to a state park or forest our regulation would not apply. At that point (and anywhere off of DEP property) the overall state statute would apply. This law is enforced by state and local Animal Control Officers.

Sec. 22-364. Dogs roaming at large. Intentional or reckless subsequent violation. (a) No owner or keeper of any dog shall allow such dog to roam at large upon the land of another and not under control of the owner or keeper or the agent of the owner or keeper, nor allow such dog to roam at large on any portion of any public highway and not attended or under control of such owner or keeper or his agent, provided nothing in this subsection shall be construed to limit or prohibit the use of hunting dogs during the open hunting or training season. The unauthorized presence of any dog on the land of any person other than the owner or keeper of such dog or on any portion of a public highway when such dog is not attended by or under the control of such owner or keeper, shall be prima facie evidence of a violation of the provisions of this subsection. Violation of any provision of this subsection shall be an infraction.

(b) Any owner or keeper of any dog who, knowing of the vicious propensities of such dog and having violated the provisions of subsection (a) of this section within the preceding year, intentionally or recklessly violates the provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than six months, or both, if such dog, while roaming at large, causes physical injury to another person and such other person was not teasing, tormenting or abusing such dog.

(1949 Rev., S. 3412; 1953, S. 1850d; 1963, P.A. 613, S. 32; P.A. 76-381, S. 11; P.A. 77-63, S. 2; P.A. 96-243, S. 11, 16.)

History: 1963 act specified what constitutes prima facie evidence of violation and distinguished between penalties for first and subsequent offenses, imposing twenty-five-dollar minimum and one-hundred-dollar maximum fine for subsequent offenses, and making imprisonment an optional penalty only for subsequent offenses where previously applicable to first offenses as well; P.A. 76-381 made violation an infraction, deleting previous penalty provisions; P.A. 77-63 prohibited dogs from roaming on any portion of highway, deleting language which had limited applicability of prohibition to those portions of highway "not adjacent to the premises of the owner or keeper"; P.A. 96-243 added Subsec. (b) re subsequent intentional or reckless violations, effective June 6, 1996.

As for cats, I have never heard of domestic cats hurting anyone. I have had cats all my life and I have never had any of them do any damage to cars, boats, or anything else like that. So what if there are some paw prints on the hood of your car and windshield. Dogs on the other hand are much more destructive.

Dogs do everything you said just worse. Just because the dog isn't attacking doesn't mean it can't hurt someone. Like I said before dogs can jump on you to play and you can break bones. Dogs pee and poop all over the place. Cats at least have the decency to cover their bombs. How many times have you stepped in dog $hit, too many to remember. Dogs also kill wildlife not to mention pets (other dogs and cats). I have seen dogs ruin lawns digging. Also my boss has the hood of his truck scratched up from a dog jumping on it. Cats might kill birds, mice, snakes, moles, squirrels, and other small animals, most people would call these creatures pests(other than the birds). Overall dogs are much more destructive than cats.