[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town of Greenfield as amended 6-15-2011 by Order No. FY 11-104 (Ch. 17 of the 2002 Bylaws). Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Noise — See Ch. 311.
Parks and recreation facilities — See Ch. 322.
A. 
This chapter is not intended to derogate or limit any powers, rights, or obligations set forth in MGL c. 140, but is in addition thereto.
B. 
The penalty fee imposed upon an owner or keeper of a dog which has violated this chapter shall be $25 for the first offense, $50 for the second offense, and $75 for each subsequent offense.
Any owner or keeper of a dog six months of age or older shall cause that dog to be licensed as required by MGL c. 140, § 137, commencing on April 1 of each year.
A. 
The fee for licensing of dogs and kennel licenses shall be set by the City Clerk in accordance with MGL c. 40, § 22F. The license fee for neutered/spayed dogs shall be less than the license fee charged for dogs that are not neutered or spayed. The owner or keeper must present a spay/neuter certificate or written statement from a veterinarian.
[Amended 2-20-2013 by Order No. FY 13-076; 12-21-2022 by Order No. FY 23-082]
B. 
No license fee will be charged for specially trained service dogs as defined in Section 11.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See MGL c. 140, § 139.
C. 
No license fee or part thereof shall be refunded because of subsequent death, loss, spaying, neutering, removal from the City of Greenfield, or other disposal.
[Amended 12-21-2022 by Order No. FY 23-082]
D. 
Should any owner or keeper fail to license a dog before June 1, the owner or keeper shall pay a late charge of $25 before obtaining said license, excepting:
[Amended 2-20-2013 by Order No. FY 13-076; 4-15-2020 by Order No. FY 20-163; 12-21-2022 by Order No. FY 23-082]
(1) 
A dog brought into the City as provided in MGL c. 140, § 138. This late fee shall be applicable after the 45th day following the arrival of such dog.
(2) 
When a State of Emergency has been declared by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
E. 
Any owner or keeper who, during any licensing period, moves into the City of Greenfield shall register his/her dog forthwith. Failure to do so by the 45th day after the arrival of such dog shall result in a late fee as stated in this section.
[Amended 12-21-2022 by Order No. FY 23-082]
A. 
Anyone maintaining or keeping a pack or collection of dogs on a single premises, whether maintained for breeding, boarding, sale, training, hunting or other purposes, including any shop where dogs are on sale, which are not covered under MGL c. 129, § 39A, and also including every pack or collection of more than three dogs, three months old or over, owned or kept by a person on a single premises, irrespective of the purpose for which they are maintained, shall be required to obtain a kennel license in compliance with the Town Zoning Ordinance.
B. 
Inspection of kennels. Upon application for a kennel license, the Animal Control Officer may inspect the facility prior to the issuance of any kennel license. The Animal Control Officer may deny the application if the facility is not in compliance with any or all sections of this chapter, state law, and state regulation. The Greenfield Animal Control Officer may at any time inspect or cause to be inspected any kennel and if, in her/his judgment, the same is not being maintained in a sanitary and humane manner, or if records are not properly kept as required by law, the Animal Control Officer, with approval of the hearings officer, shall revoke or suspend, and in case of suspension, may reinstate such license.
All dogs six months or older shall be licensed and have a current rabies inoculation as required by MGL c. 140, § 137, and MGL c. 140, § 145B, and any subsequent amendments thereto. When applying for a license, the applicant must show proof of rabies vaccination by presenting a current rabies certificate from a veterinarian.
The provisions of this chapter shall be enforced by the Animal Control Officer and any police officer of the Town.
If an Animal Control Officer determines that a dog in her estrus cycle is attracting other dogs to the area, which conditions cause disturbances on or damage to neighboring property or public areas, he/she may impound the dog for the duration of the estrus cycle, releasing it thereafter to the owner or keeper upon payment of penalty fees, if applicable, pickup fees, confinement fees, and/or other expenses incurred during the impoundment, in order to provide for the health and well-being of the dog. As an alternative, an Animal Control Officer may require the owner, or keeper, to place and keep such a dog, while in the estrus cycle, in a kennel or remove it from the area. Failure to comply with the removal order of the Animal Control Officer shall be a violation of this chapter, and the dog will then be impounded as prescribed in this chapter.
No person shall keep any dog which by biting, barking, howling or in any other manner disturbs the peace and quiet of the neighborhood or endangers the safety of any person.
A. 
Unrestrained dogs.
(1) 
No dog shall be permitted to be unrestrained while in or near any schoolyard, public park, public playground, public building, retail store, public highway or street, or public or school recreational field or facility.
(2) 
No person shall permit a dog under that person's control to defecate on any schoolyard, public park, public playground, or public school or recreational field or facility.
(3) 
Exceptions.
(a) 
Further, no dog shall be permitted to be at large in any other public area not designated within this section except if:
[1] 
The dog is attached to a leash held by a person who is capable of controlling the dog or puppy.
[2] 
The dog is in a vehicle from which it cannot escape while the vehicle is driven, parked, or stopped.
[3] 
The dog is within 100 feet or within calling or whistling distance, mechanical or otherwise, for the purposes of hunting in an area where hunting is allowed and dogs are legally allowed for hunting purposes.
[4] 
The dog is in a public area where dogs or puppies are allowed.
(b) 
These exceptions shall apply to public parks and recreational fields designated by the Town of Greenfield allowing dogs to be off leash.
B. 
Any dog found to be at large within the grounds of any school property, public park, public playground, public building, public highway or street, or public or recreational field or facility, retail store, apartment or commercial building of the Town of Greenfield, except as allowed in Subsection A, shall be apprehended and confined by the Animal Control Officer and/or police officers, who shall notify forthwith the licensed owner or keeper of said dog, giving the owner or keeper a period of seven days within which to recover the dog.
C. 
The Animal Control Officer or his/her agent having custody of a dog confined under this chapter shall be allowed the sum of $15 per day of confinement for the care of such dog, payable by the owner or keeper to the Animal Control Officer or his/her agent before retrieval of such dog shall be allowed.
D. 
For each and every dog picked up, the Animal Control Officer or his/her agent shall be entitled to a pickup fee of $15 for the first occurrence, $20 for the second, $30 for the third and $50 for the fourth occurrence in any one calendar year.
E. 
Restraining; exceptions.
(1) 
No person owning or keeping a dog shall permit such dog to be at large elsewhere than on the premises of the owner or keeper, except if it be on the premises of another person with the permission of such other person. Such owner or keeper of a dog, which is not on the premises of the owner, or upon the premises of another person with the permission of such other person, shall restrain such dog with a chain or leash not exceeding eight feet in length. No dog or puppy may be restrained by a fixed-point chain or tether for more than eight hours in a twenty-four-hour period. Any tethering employed shall not allow the dog or puppy to leave the owner's or keeper's property. No chain or tether shall weigh more than 1/8 of the dog's or puppy's body weight. Any chain or tether used must be attached to a properly fitting collar or harness worn by the animal.
(2) 
Exceptions:
(a) 
The dog is attached to a leash held by a person who is capable of controlling the dog or puppy.
(b) 
The dog is in a vehicle from which it cannot escape while the vehicle is driven, parked, or stopped.
(c) 
The dog is within 100 feet or within calling or whistling distance, mechanical or otherwise, for the purposes of hunting in an area where hunting is allowed and dogs are legally allowed for hunting purposes.
(d) 
The dog is in a public area where dogs or puppies are allowed.
(3) 
These exceptions shall apply to public parks and recreational fields designated by the Town of Greenfield allowing dogs to be off leash.
F. 
In any prosecution hereunder, the presence of such dog at large upon premises other than the premises of the owner or keeper of such dog shall be prima facie evidence that such permission was not obtained.
A. 
It is unlawful for any person to own, keep, or use, or be in any manner connected with, or financially interested in, the management of, or to receive money or other thing of value for the admission of any person to, a house, apartment, pit or place procured or permitted to be used or occupied for baiting or fighting of animals; or to instigate, promote, arrange, or carry on a fight between animals, or in aid of or calculated to encourage or further any fight between animals.
B. 
Except where indicated for the health or welfare of a dog or puppy, the owner or keeper of such dog or puppy shall provide it with adequate, clean, fresh, and wholesome food and water supplied at least once every 24 hours. Food and water containers shall be kept clean. Outside shelter shall be provided and shall be constructed so as to give full protection from the elements of weather and from the extremes of heat or cold.
C. 
Animals left in motor vehicles.
(1) 
The owner of an animal left unattended in a motor vehicle shall ensure:
(a) 
The animal is restrained in a manner that prevents contact between the animal and any member of the public; and
(b) 
The animal has suitable ventilation.
(2) 
The owner of an animal shall not leave an animal unattended in a motor vehicle if the weather conditions are not suitable for containment of an animal. This includes weather extremes of excessive hot or cold conditions that may cause suffering or the potential for death.
It shall be unlawful for the owner or person having care, custody or control of a dog or puppy to permit, either willfully or through failure to exercise due care or control of such animal, any animal to excrete any solid waste upon any sidewalk, any public street or public park, or to excrete any solid waste upon any real property under the control or in the possession of any other person, or upon any place to which the public has normal access or right of ingress or egress; provided, further, that no violation of this section shall occur if the owner of the offending animal promptly and voluntarily removes the animal waste.
Any motor vehicle operator who knowingly strikes a domesticated animal must immediately stop and make an attempt to make him-/herself known to animal's owner. If unable to locate the owner, the motor vehicle operator shall notify the Animal Control Officer and/or the Police Department within 24 hours.
Whoever shall offend against or fail to comply with any of the provisions of this chapter shall, unless some other penalty is provided by law or by an ordinance of the Town, for each and every offense forfeit and pay a penalty of not less than $25 and not more than $300, all pursuant to MGL c. 40, § 21D. All fines recovered under this section shall inure to the benefit of the Town.