Sec. 2. Every owner or keeper of a dog shall, when called opon by the 'liners for their lists, notify them of the dogs by him owned or kept; and every owner or keeper of a dog who shall neglect or refuse to notify the Haters as aforesaid, shall forfeit and pay to the town in which he resides the sum of two dollars, to be recovered in an action on the case in the name of the treasurer of each 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 Vie name of the owner or keeper plainly writ ten thereon, to he worn on the neck of each dog by him owned or kept; and it shall be lawful for any person to kill any dog running at large off the premises 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 wor ried or wounded sheep are made liable for dou ble damages and double costs; and they can sus tain no action for damages against persons who have killed dogs assaulting them off the premises of their owners, or chasing or worrying sheep. In Massachusetts, where sheep husbandry of 'a high order is on the increase, stringent and effec tive 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: Sec. 1. Every owner or ,keeper of a dog shall annually, on or before the thirtieth day of April, cause it to be reg ,Istered, 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 resides, 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 ahall be p id to the treasurer of the county in which the dog is kept, etc.
Sec. 6. The assessors of. the cities and towns shall annually take a list of all dogs owned or kept in their res pective cities and towns on the first day cf May. with the owners' or keepers' names, and return the same to the city or town clerk on or before the tenth day of July. Any owaer or keeper of a dog who shall refuse to give just and true answers to the assessors relative to the ownership thereof shall be punished by a fine of not lees than ten dollars.
Sec. 7. Mayoraof cities and the chairman of the select men of the towns shall annually, within ten days from the first day of July, issue a warrant to one or more police officers or constables, directing them to proceed forthwith either to kill or cause to he 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 police officer and constable shall. kill, or cause to he killed, all such dogs, whenever and wherever found. Such officers, other than those employed under regular pay, shall receive one dollar for each dog so des troyed from the treasurers of their respective counties, etc. Sec. 8. The mayors of cities and the chairman of the selectmen of towns shall, after issuing their warrant to police officers or constables, as specified in, the preceding section, forthwith certify the fact under oath to the dis trictattorneys of their respective districts, whose outy it shall be to prosecute all such officers as fail to comply with this requirement.
Sec. 9. Whoever suffers loss by the worrying, maim ing, or killing of his sheep. lambs, or other domestic ani mals by dogs, may inform the mayor of the city, or the chairman of the selectmen of the town wherein the dam age was done, who shall appoint two disinterested per sons, who, with the mayor or chairman of the selectmen, shall proceed to the premises where 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 in 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 exists, may summon the appraisers, and make such exam ination as they may think proper and shall issue an order upon the treasurer of the county in which the damage was done for all or any part thereof, as justice and equity may require. The treasurer shall annually, ou the first day of January, pay all such orders in full, if the gross amount received by 'him under the provisions of this act, and not previously paid out, is sufficient therefor; otherwise, he shall divide such amount pro rata among such orders in full discharge thereof. The hoard of appraisers shall receive from the county, or to the county of Suffolk from the city or town treasurer, out of the moneys received under the provisions of this act, the sum of one dollar each for every examination made by them as prescribed in this section.