458 AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



in which he resides the sum of two dollars, to be recovered iu an action on the case in the 

 name of the treasurer of such town, before any court competent to try the same, with full 

 costs. 



Sec. 3. It is hereby made the duty of the owner or keeper of a dog, whether set in 

 the lists or not, to cause a collar, with the name of the owner or keeper plainly written 

 thereon, to be worn on the neck of each dog bj' him owned or kept ; and it shall be lawful 

 for any person to kill any dog running at large off the preni'ses of the owner or keeper not 

 having on such collar; and the owner or keeper of such dog shall recover no damage for 

 such killing. 



By another law, owners of dogs that have worried or wounded sheep are 

 made liable for double damages and double costs ; and they can sustain no 

 action for damages against persons who have killed dogs assaulting them off 

 the premises of theu* owners, or chasing or \vorrying sheep. 



MASSACHUSETTS. 



In Massachusetts, where sheep husbandly of a high order is on the increase, 

 Btringent and eflfective laws have been passed. The following is a synopsis of 

 the last law : 



AN ACT concerning dogs and for the protection of sheep and other domestic animals. 



Be it enacted, ice, as follows : 



Section* 1. Every owner or keeper of a dog shall annually, on or before the thirtieth 

 day of April, cause it to be registered, numbered, described, and licensed for one year from 

 the first day of the ensuing May, in the office of the clerk of the city or town wherein he re- 

 sides, and shall cause it to wear around its neck a collar distinctly marked with its owner's 

 name, and the registered number, and shall pay for such license two dollars for a male dog 

 and five dollars for a female dog. 



Sections second, third, and fourth provide for licensing and the payment of 

 money into the treasuries : 



Sec. 5. Whoever keeps a dog contrary to the provisions of this act shall forfeit fifteen 

 dollars, to be recovered by complaint, and the money shall be paid to the treasurer of the 

 county in which the dog is kept, &c. 



Sec. 6. The assessors of the cities and towns shall annually take a list of all dogs owned 

 or kept in their respective cities or towns on the first day of May, Avith the owners' or keep- 

 ers' names, and return the same to the city or town clerk on or before the tenth day of July. 

 Any owner or keeper of a dog who shall refuse to give just and tme answers to the assessors 

 relative to the ownership thereof shall be punished by a fine of not less thau ten dollars. 



Sec. 7. Mayors of cities and the chairman of the selectmen of towns shall armually, within 

 ten da3-s from the first day of July, issue a warrant to one or more police officers or consta- 

 bles, directing them to proceed forthwith either to kill or cause to be killed all dogs within 

 their respective cities or towns not licensed and collared according to the provisions of this 

 act ; and any person may, and every pohce officer and constable shaD, kiU, or cause to be 

 killed, all such dogs, whenever and wherever found. Such officers, other than those em- 

 ployed under regular pay, shall receive one dollar for each dog so destroyed from the treas- 

 urers of their respective counties, &c. 



Sec. 8. The mayors of cities and the chairman of the selectmen of towns shall, after issu- 

 ing their warrant to police officers or constables, as specified in the preceding section, forth- 

 with certiiy the fact under oath to the district attorneys of their respective districts, whose 

 duty it shall be to prosecute all such officers as fail to comply with this requirement. 



Sec. 9. Whoever sufters loss by the worrying, maiming, or killing of his sheep, lambs, 

 or other domestic animals by dogs, may inform the mayor of the city, or the chaiiman of the 

 eelectmen of the town wherein the damage was done, who shall appoint two disinterested 

 persons, who, with the mayor or chairman of the selectmen, shall proceed to the premises 

 Avhere the damage was done, and determine whether the damage was inflicted by dogs, and 

 if so, appraise said damage. The amount of said damage shall be certified by the board of 

 appraisers, and, except iu the county of Suffolk, be transmitted to the county commissioners, 

 who shall during the month of December examine all such bills, and, when any doubt ex- 

 ists, may summon the appraisers, and make such examination as they may think proper, 

 and shall issue an order upon the treasurer of the county in which the damage was done for 

 ^ or any part thereof, as justice and equity may require. 



*The treasurer shall annually, on the lirst day of January, pay all such orders in full, if the 

 ^ross amount received by him under the provisions of this act, and not previously paid out, 

 is sufficient therefor ; othenvise, he shall divide such amount pro rata among such orders in 

 full discharge thereof. 



