406 TRANSACTIONS OP THE 



To protect sJieep, and Caslimere and Angora goats, against tJie ravages of dogs. 



[Approved Marcli — , 1866.] 



TJie People of the State of California, represented in Senate and Asseynll^, do 



enact as foiloics : 



Section 1. Every owner, claimant, or keeper of a dog or clogs of the 

 age of four months or over, shall hereafter pay an annual tax on all 

 dogs owned, claimed, or kept by him or her — for the first male dog one 

 dollar, for every additional male dog two dollars, and for every female 

 dog three dollars. 



Sec. 2. It shall be the duty of the County, District, or Township 

 Assessors, as the ease may be, at the time of making their annual assess- 

 ments of real estate and personal pro])erty, to ascertain, by diligent 

 inquii-y and examination, the names of all persons owning, claiming, or 

 keeping any dog or dogs, and they shall assess all such dogs in the 

 amounts respectively as provided in the first section of this Act to the 

 person or persons owning, claiming, or keeping the same, and shall 

 make lists and deliver}^ thereof on their annual tax lists or assessment 

 rolls at the same time and in the same manner as their lists and delivery 

 of other personal propert}'' are made and delivered j and the proper 

 otficera are iiereb^^ empowered and required to collect such tax on dogs 

 in the same mode and manner as other taxes are collected, and to pay 

 over the same into the County School Fund. 



Sec. 3. Every dog kept or staying at anj' house, shall be deemed 

 suflicient evidence of ownership to authorize the Asssessor to return the 

 person inhabiting the house as the owner of such dog; and an}^ person 

 sending his or her dog from house to house or from"plaee to place in 

 order to evade said tax, shall pay double rates therefor 5 and every dog 

 not so returned shall be deemed to have no owner, and may be lawfully 

 killed b}^ any person seeing the same run at large. 



Sec 4. The owner or owners of any dog or dogs which shall worr}', 

 wound, or kill any sheep. Cashmere or Angora goats, shall be liable to 

 the owner or possessor of such sheep, goat or goats, for the damages and 

 costs of suit, to bo recovered before any Court having jurisdiction in the 

 case. 



Sec. 5. Any person finding any dog or dogs, not on the premises of 

 its owner, worrying, wounding,' or killing any sheep, or Cashmere or 

 Angora goats, may kill the sam^, and the owner thereof shall sustain no 

 action for damages against any person so killing any dog or dogs under 

 such circumstances 



