Section 1. Licenses and tags:

The owner or keeper of a dog six (6) months old or over shall purchase a license from the town Clerk and shall attach the license to a collar or harness of said dog. If any such tag is lost, the owner or keeper of such dog shall secure a substitute tag from the Town Clerk. No license fee shall be charted for a dog certified to serve a blind person or a deaf person, provided the dog is actually in the service of a blind or deaf person.

New residents bringing dogs six (6) months old or older into the Town or Charlton shall purchase a license from the Town Clerk within sixty (60) days.

The annual fee for every dog license, except as otherwise provided for by law, shall be as follows:

Male..........................................$20.00
Female......................................$20.00
Senior Citizen (65 and over).........$17.00
Neutered Male............................$10.00
Spayed Female..........................$10.00
Senior Citizen (65 and over)...........$8.00
Substitute Tag..............................$1.00
Transfer License...........................$1.00

When applying for a dog license the applicant must show proof, by a licensed veterinarian's certificate, that the dog has been vaccinated against rabies, as required by Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 140, Sections 137 and 145B.

Kennel fees shall be as follows:

Four dogs or less……....….$35.00
Ten dogs or less………......$75.00
Twenty-five dogs or less..…$100.00

No license fee or any part thereof shall be refunded because of subsequent death, loss, spaying, neutering or removal from the Commonwealth of other disposal of the dog.

Should any owner or keeper of a dog fail to license it before March 1st, a late fee of ten dollars ($10.00) will be charged.

Any person maintaining a kennel in the Town of Charlton who fails to license, as prescribed by this section and the laws of the Commonwealth, shall pay a late fee of twenty dollars ($20.00).

Section 2. Definition of Terms:

As used in this order unless the context otherwise indicates.

(1) "DOG" means: Any animal of the canine species, both male and female.

(2) "OWNER" means: Any person or persons, firm, association, or corporation owning, keeping or harboring a dog, as herein defined.

3) "PUBLIC NUISANCE" means: Any dog which by excessive barking, howling, "running-at-large" or in any other manner disturbs the quiet of the public.

(4) "RUN-AT-LARGE" means: Any dog free of restraint which is permitted to wander on private property of others or on public ways at will, without proper restraint.

(5) "RESTRAINT" means: The dog will be on a leash or a substantial chain and under the control of a person competent to restrain it so that it shall not be a threat to public safety. The mere muzzling of a dog shall not prevent it from being a public nuisance.

Section 3. Prohibitions:

No owner or keeper shall permit any dog whether licensed or unlicensed to become a "public nuisance" or to run-at-large within the Town of Charlton any time day or night.

Section 4. Field Trials:

No person shall conduct a Field Trial involving dogs in the Town of Charlton without first procuring a permit thereof from the Animal Control Officer. Any such permit shall contain such limitations, as the Animal Control Officer shall deem reasonably necessary to prevent such dogs from being a threat to public safety.

Section 5. Penalty:

Any owner or keeper found in violation of this by-law shall be subject to a fine according to the following schedule:

First Offense...................................... $25.00
Second Offense................................. $35.00
Third Offense..................................... $50.00
Fourth Offense....................................$75.00
Fifth and each subsequent offense......$100.00
(within a calendar year)

Section 6. Enforcement:

It shall be the duty of the Animal Control Officer to investigate complaints and enforce the provisions of this Bylaw and to that end he/she shall have the authority to seek complaints in the District Court for violations thereof. He/She shall also attend to all matters pertaining to stray or public nuisance dogs, and to care for dogs that are injured in the Town of Charlton if the owner or keeper is unknown. The Animal Control Officer shall also be responsible for maintaining and keeping accurate records on all complaints and dogs that are apprehended and impounded as prescribed by law.

Section 7. Procedure Following Impoundment:

The Animal Control Officer shall immediately notify the owner or keeper of any dog impounded by him under the provisions of the By-law if such owner or keeper is known by him. If such owner or keeper is not known by him, no notice shall be necessary.

Section 8. Notice to Owner and Redemption:

The owner may then reclaim the dog by reimbursing the Animal Control Officer expenses, fines and fees, for maintaining the impounded dog. In any event, the maintenance cost shall not exceed ten dollars ($10.00) for each twenty-four (24) hour period or any part thereof, plus thirty dollars ($30.00) as an initial pickup fee. However, as required by state law, each dog six (6) months old or older must be licensed before the Animal Control Officer may release it to its owner.

Section 9. Disposition of Unclaimed Dogs:

Any dog which has been impounded and has not been redeemed by the owner within ten (10) days shall be disposed of a provided by Massachusetts General Laws, chapter 140, Section 151A, and any amendment thereto. Any unclaimed dog adopted from the Charlton Animal Control Officer shall be spayed or neutered at the owner's expense. The adoption fee for all unclaimed dogs regardless of sex, breed, or age shall be twenty dollars ($20.00).

Section 10. Collection of Fines and Fees:

All fines and fees collected by the Animal Control Officer while enforcing the provisions of this By-law shall be collected in the form of personal check, money order or registered check made payable to the Town of Charlton. In any event the Animal Control Officer will not accept cash, unless bonded to do so.

Section 11. Disposition of Collected Fines and Fees:

All fines and fees collected by the Animal Control Officer shall be accounted for and paid over to the Town Treasurer at such time and in such manner as may be designated by the Town Treasurer.