Editor's Note: The warrant issued to the Dog
Officer reads as follows:
"In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,
you are hereby required to proceed forthwith to seek out, catch and
confine all dogs within said City (or Town) not duly licensed, collared
or harnessed and tagged, according to the provisions of Chapter 140
of the General Laws, and you are further required to make and enter
complaint against the owner or keeper of every such dog and to kill
or cause to be killed each such dog which, after being detained for
a period of seven days, shall not then have been duly licensed, collared
or harnessed and tagged, unless delivery of such dog to an institution
licensed under Chapter 49A of the General Laws shall be required under
the provisions of § 3 of said Chapter 49A; except that any
male or any spayed female dog not found to be diseased may be sold
for not less than $3, and you shall keep an account of any such sale
and forthwith pay over the money to the Town Treasurer. Before delivery
of any dog so sold, you shall require the purchaser to register and
procure a license and tag for such dog from the Town Clerk of the
Town where the dog is to be kept, in accordance with the provisions
of MGL C. 140, § 137.
"Hereof fail not and make due return of this
warrant with your doings therein on or before the first day of October
next, on or before the first day of January next and on or before
the first day of April next and at the expiration of your term of
office, stating the number of dogs caught, confined and/or killed,
delivered to an institution licensed under Chapter 49A of the General
Laws or sold and the names of the owners or keepers thereof, and whether
all unlicensed dogs in said City (or Town) have been caught, confined
and/or killed, delivered to an institution licensed under said Chapter
49A or sold and the names of persons against whom complaints have
been made under the provisions of said Chapter 140, and whether complaints
have been made and entered against all the persons who have failed
to comply with the provisions of said Chapter 140."