Town of Sweden, NY Article II Dog Licensing and Identification

§ 84-4 License required.

A. All dogs within the Town of Sweden four months of age or older, unless otherwise exempted, shall be licensed by the Town of Sweden.

B. The following dogs are exempt from the licensing requirements of this chapter.

(1) Any dog harbored within the Town of Sweden which is owned by a resident of New York City or licensed by the City of New York, for a period of 30 days;

(2) Any dog harbored within the Town of Sweden which is owned by a nonresident of New York State and licensed by a jurisdiction outside the State of New York, for a period of 30 days; and

(3) Any dog held at a shelter pursuant to an agreement with a county, city, town, village or duly incorporated society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, humane society or dog protective association.

§ 84-5 Applications for dog license.

A. The owner of each dog required to be licensed shall complete with the Town Clerk of the Town of Sweden a dog license application together with the applicable fees.

B. The dog license application shall state the name, sex, actual or approximate age, breed, color and other identification marks of the dog; the name, address and telephone number of the owner; together with any additional information deemed appropriate by the Town Clerk.

C. The dog license application shall be accompanied by proof that the dog has been vaccinated against rabies or a statement from a licensed veterinarian that such vaccination would endanger the dog's life, in which case vaccination shall not be required.

D. In the case of a spayed or neutered dog, the application shall be accompanied by a certificate signed by a licensed veterinarian or an affidavit signed by the owner, showing that the dog has been spayed or neutered; provided, however, that such certificate or affidavit shall not be required if the same is already on file with the Town. In lieu of the foregoing certificate or affidavit, the application may be accompanied by a statement by a licensed veterinarian that, by reason of old age or other reason, the life of the dog would be endangered by spaying or neutering, in which case the license fee for such dog shall be the same as for a spayed or neutered dog.

§ 84-6 Purebred dog license.

A. The owner of one or more purebred dogs registered by a recognized registry association may annually make an application for a purebred license in lieu of the individual licenses required by the Town of Sweden.

B. An application for a purebred license shall comply with all of the requirements contained in § 84-5 herein, together with the requirement that the owner provide to the Town Clerk a copy of the registry certificate issued by a recognized registry association for all such dogs.

§ 84-7 Issuance of dog license and identification.

A. Upon validation by the Town Clerk, the application for a dog license or purebred dog license shall become a license for the dog or dogs described therein. Once an application is validated, no refund shall be made. Each license shall be valid for a period of one year, shall expire on the last day of the last month of its term and shall be nontransferable.

B. Upon the first issuance of a dog license, the Town Clerk shall issue an identification number and provide the owner with a tag for such dog. Dogs under a purebred license will not be issued such tag. One identification tag shall be furnished to the owner of record at no charge. In the event that an identification tag is lost, the Town Clerk, upon request of the owner shall issue a replacement tag at a fee in such amount as the Town Board may, from time to time, establish by resolution.

C. The identification tag shall be affixed to a collar or harness on the dog at all times, provided that a dog participating in a dog show is exempt from such requirement, during such participation. Dogs under a purebred license are exempt from such requirement.

D. The identification tag shall be imprinted with the words "State of New York," "Town of Sweden," a unique identification number and the telephone number of the Town Clerk's office.

§ 84-8 Fees for dog licenses.

All fees shall be used in funding the administration of the Dog Control Law of the Town of Sweden.

A. The annual fees for licensing of dogs pursuant to this chapter shall be in such amounts as the Town Board may, from time to time, establish by resolution.

B. In accordance with provisions set forth in § 110, Subdivision 3, of the Agriculture and Markets Law, in addition to the license fees established by the Town Board, each applicant for a dog license shall pay a New York State surcharge for the purpose of carrying out the Animal Population Control Program.

C. Exempted from payment of the license fees are applications for a dog license for any guide, hearing, service, war, working search, detection, police or therapy dog.

D. The annual fees for a purebred license shall be in such amounts as the Town Board may, from time to time, establish by resolution.

E. In accordance with provisions set forth in § 109, Subdivision 3, of the Agriculture and Markets Law, in addition to the license fees established by the Town Board, each applicant for a purebred license shall pay a New York State surcharge for the purpose of carrying out the Animal Population Control Program.

F. Replacement tags shall be obtained by the owner at his or her expense at a fee in such amount as the Town Board may, from time to time, establish by resolution.

G. Enumeration fee. When the Town Board determines the need for a dog enumeration, a fee in such amount as the Town Board may, from time to time, establish by resolution will be assessed to the owner of any dog found unlicensed at the time enumeration is conducted.

§ 84-9 Change of ownership, lost, stolen or deceased dogs.

A. In the event of a change in ownership of any dog which has been licensed pursuant to this chapter or in the address of the owner of record of any such dog, the owner of record shall, within 10 days of such change, notify the Town Clerk. Such owner of record shall be liable for any violation of this chapter until such notification is made or until the dog is licensed in the name of the new owner.

B. If any dog which has been licensed pursuant to this chapter is lost or stolen, the owner of record shall, within 10 days of the discovery of such loss or theft, notify the Town Clerk. In the case of a loss or theft, the owner of record of any such dog shall not be liable for any violation of this chapter committed after such report is filed.

C. In the case of a dog's death, the owner of record shall notify the Town Clerk either prior to renewal of licensure or upon the time of such renewal as set forth by the Town Clerk.