A.
Any person residing in the Town of Dennis, who at the beginning of
the license period (January 1 to December 31), or who during the license
period, becomes the owner or keeper of a dog six months old or over,
shall cause the dog to be licensed within 30 days. The Town Clerk
shall issue dog licenses and tags on a form prescribed and furnished
by the Town. Subject to the approval of the Select Board, the Town
may provide licensing to be conducted through the mail.
[Amended 10-3-2020 STM by Art. 12]
B.
On the license form, the Town Clerk shall record the name, address,
phone number and the date of birth of the owner or keeper of the dog,
and the name, license number and description of each dog. Each tag
shall include the license number, the name of the Town and the year
of issue.
C.
The owner or keeper shall cause each dog to wear around its neck
or body a collar or harness to which he shall securely attach the
license tags. In the event that any tag is lost, defaced or destroyed,
substitute tags shall be obtained by the owner or keeper from the
Town Clerk at the cost of $1. Such moneys shall be transmitted to
the Town of Dennis' General Fund in the same manner as license fees.
D.
The Town Clerk shall not issue a license for any dog unless the owner
or keeper provides the Town Clerk with a veterinarian's certificate
verifying that the dog is currently vaccinated against rabies.
E.
Any exemption from the requirements of having to produce a valid
rabies certificate in order to obtain a dog license shall be granted
if the owner or keeper presents a signed statement from a veterinarian,
indicating that because of infirmity, other physical condition or
regimen of therapy, inoculation is thereby deemed inadvisable.
F.
The fee for each dog license shall be $20 unless a certificate from
a veterinarian stating that the dog has been spayed or neutered, or
a statement from a veterinarian indicating that because of age, infirmity
or other physical condition spaying or neutering is deemed inadvisable,
is presented to the Clerk, in which case the fee shall be $5. No fee
shall be charged for a dog specially trained to lead or serve a blind,
deaf, or handicapped person upon presentation to the Town Clerk of
a certificate of such training.
G.
The Clerk shall collect a late fee of $5 for every dog license issued after the thirty-day period, as defined in § 79-1A of this article.
H.
Any owner or keeper of a dog who moves into the Town of Dennis and
has a valid dog license for his/her dog from another city or town
in the commonwealth shall, within 30 days, obtain a dog license for
a fee of $1 upon producing evidence of the previous license.
I.
No license fee or part thereof shall be refunded because of subsequent
death, loss, spaying, neutering, or removal from the Town of Dennis
or any other disposal of said dog.
J.
Any person who violates the provisions of § 79-1A through I shall be subject to a written warning for the first offense, a fine of $50 for the second offense and a fine of $100 for the third and subsequent offenses. In addition to any other legal remedies that may be available, the Animal Control Officer or other designated enforcing person may enforce these penalties through the Town's Noncriminal Disposition Bylaw, Chapter 1, Article I.
A.
The owner or keeper of a dog or cat six months of age or older housed
or sheltered in the Town of Dennis shall cause such dog or cat to
be vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian using a licensed
vaccine approved by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
Unvaccinated dogs and cats acquired or moved into the Town of Dennis
shall be vaccinated within 30 days after the acquisition or arrival
into Dennis or upon reaching the age of six months, whichever last
occurs. Such owner or keeper shall procure a veterinarian's certification
that such animal has been so vaccinated and setting forth the date
of such vaccination and the duration of immunity, or a notarized letter
from a veterinarian that a certification was issued.
B.
The veterinarian shall issue a tag with each certificate of vaccination.
The tag shall be secured by the owner or keeper of such dog or cat
to a collar or harness made of suitable material to be worn by the
dog or cat; provided, however, the owner of a cat may choose not to
affix a tag to his cat but shall have the tag available for inspection
upon demand by the Animal Control Officers, police officers or other
such authorized officials of the Town.
C.
Vaccinated animals shall be revaccinated periodically in accordance
with the rules and regulations adopted by and promulgated by the Massachusetts
Department of Public Health.
D.
Any person who violates the provisions of § 79-2A through C shall be subject to a written warning for the first offense, a fine of $50 for the second offense and a fine of $100 for the third and subsequent offenses. In addition to any other legal remedies that may be available, the Animal Control Officer or other designated enforcing person may enforce these penalties through the Town's Noncriminal Disposition Bylaw, Chapter 1, Article I.
A.
No person shall keep more than six cats being over the age of six
months at any premises within the Town of Dennis. No person shall
keep more than four dogs being over the age of six months at any premises
within the Town of Dennis unless a kennel license has first been obtained.
Those persons who kept more than four dogs or six cats at their premises
as of October 1, 2004, may keep said animals in excess of the aforesaid
limit, but said animals may not be replaced so as to exceed the four-dog
and six-cat limit.
B.
Any person who violates the provisions of § 79-3A shall be subject to payment of a fine of $25 per animal in excess per day of violation. In addition to any other legal remedies that may be available, the Animal Control Officer or other designated enforcing person may enforce these penalties through the Town's Noncriminal Disposition Bylaw, Chapter 1, Article I.
A.
Any owner or keeper of five up to and including nine dogs six months
of age or older, being maintained at a premises, shall secure a residential
kennel license. The Town Clerk shall not issue a residential kennel
license unless the owner or keeper provides the Town Clerk with a
veterinarian's certificate verifying that each dog six months of age
or older is currently vaccinated against rabies. Any owner or keeper
of 10 or more dogs, six months of age or older, or of a premises maintained
for the boarding or in-residence training of dogs, shall obtain a
commercial kennel license.
B.
Issuance of a residential or commercial kennel license shall be contingent
upon inspection and approval by the Animal Control Officer to ensure
that basic standards of cleanliness and proper care and confinement
of said dogs exist on the premises. The name and address of the owner
of each dog kept in any kennel, if other than the person maintaining
the kennel, and a veterinarian's certificate verifying that each dog
six months of age or older is currently vaccinated against rabies,
shall be kept on file thereat and available for inspection by the
Animal Control Officer or any authorized persons.
C.
Such license shall be in a form prescribed by the Town Clerk. Such
license shall be in lieu of any other license for any dog while kept
at such kennel during any portion of the period for which such kennel
license is issued. The holder of a license for a kennel shall cause
each dog kept therein to wear, while it is at large, a collar or harness
of leather or other suitable material, to which shall be securely
attached a tag upon which shall appear the number of such kennel license,
the year of issue, and the inscription "Dennis."
D.
The residential kennel license fee shall be $50. The commercial kennel
license fee shall be $75. The Town Clerk shall, upon application,
issue without charge a commercial kennel license to any domestic charitable
corporation, incorporated exclusively for the purpose of protecting
animals from cruelty, neglect or abuse, and for the relief of suffering
among animals. A veterinary hospital shall not be considered a kennel
unless it contains an area for the selling or boarding of dogs for
other than medical purposes, in which case it shall apply for a commercial
kennel license. The license period for a kennel license shall be from
January 1 to December 31, inclusive.
E.
The Animal Control Officer, Animal Health Inspector, or any agent
authorized by the Town may at any reasonable time inspect any kennel
or premises for which a residential or commercial kennel license has
been issued.
F.
If the Animal Control Officer, Animal Health Inspector, or other authorized agent, after inspection, determines that the kennel or premises that are the subject of a kennel license are not kept in a sanitary or humane condition, or if records are not kept as required by law, the Select Board Members may, by order after hearing, revoke or suspend such license. If a license has been revoked or suspended, the license may be reinstated after inspection and in accordance with the procedure set forth below in § 79-4G.
[Amended 10-3-2020 STM by Art. 12]
G.
Upon written petition of the Animal Control Officer, or of five Dennis
residents, filed with the Select Board Members, setting forth that
they are aggrieved or annoyed to an unreasonable extent by one or
more dogs at the kennel because of excessive barking or vicious disposition
of said dogs, or other conditions connected with such kennel constituting
a public nuisance, said Select Board Members, within seven days after
the filing of such a petition, shall give notice to the owner or keeper
of the kennel, the petitioner(s), and any other person the Select
Board Members determine should be given notice, of a public hearing
to be held within 14 days after the date of such notice. Said notice
shall also be posted on a Town bulletin board.
[Amended 10-3-2020 STM by Art. 12]
H.
Within seven days after such public hearing, said Select Board Members
shall make an order either revoking or suspending such kennel license,
or otherwise regulating said kennel or premises, or dismissing said
petition.
[Amended 10-3-2020 STM by Art. 12]
I.
The holder of such license or other person who is the subject of an order under § 79-4H may petition the District Court for relief in accordance with MGL c. 140, § 137C.
J.
Any person maintaining a residential or commercial kennel after the license has been so revoked, or while such license is so suspended, may be punished by a fine of $50 for each day in violation of said revocation or suspension. In addition to any other legal remedies that may be available, the Animal Control Officer or other designated enforcing person may enforce these penalties through the Town's Noncriminal Disposition Bylaw, Chapter 1, Article I.
K.
Violations and penalties. Any person who violates the provisions of § 79-4A through I shall be subject to a written warning for the first offense, and for each subsequent offense shall be subject to payment of a fine of $25. In addition to any other legal remedies that may be available, the Animal Control Officer or other designated enforcing person may enforce these penalties through the Town's Noncriminal Disposition Bylaw, Chapter 1, Article I.
