[HISTORY: Adopted by the Annual Town Meeting of the Town of Newbury 4-15-1986 by Arts. 9 and 10; amended in its entirety by the Annual Town Meeting 4-25-1995 by Art. 19. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Animals — See Ch. 109.
A. 
All dogs 6 months old or over must be licensed and tagged. Licensing will be done through the Town Clerk’s office. The license period shall run from January 1st to December 31st of each calendar year, both dates inclusive. The owner or keeper of an unlicensed dog after February 1st will be fined $10.00 in addition to the license fee.
[Amended 5-25-2010 ATM, Art. 24; 5-21-2013 ATM, Art. 20]
B. 
Licensing fees shall be $10 per spayed or neutered dog and $15 for intact dogs. Kennel fees are as follows: 4 dogs or less $40.00, 5 to 10 dogs $75.00, more than 10 dogs $125.00. The fee for a commercial kennel including an animal day-care facility is $125.00. The license period shall run from January 1st to December 31st of each calendar year, both dates inclusive. New kennel licenses may be issued pending an informational meeting, inspection and approval from the Animal Control Officer.
[Amended 4-27-1999 ATM, Art. 15; 5-21-2013 ATM, Art. 21]
C. 
Anyone wishing to sell dogs not raised by them or to maintain a business kennel for the purpose of selling dogs of any age shall apply in writing to the Board of Selectmen. The selectmen shall hold a public hearing on the request. The petitioner must notify all abutters within 300' by registered mail and advertise the hearing in the Newburyport Daily News at least 10 days before the hearing date. Within 21 days after the hearing, the selectmen shall either deny the request or approve with any restrictions they deem necessary.
D. 
Anyone maintaining such a kennel without a proper license shall be subject to a $100 fine. Each day shall constitute a violation.
[Amended 5-21-2013 ATM, Art. 22]
E. 
The keeping of a female dog and occasionally having a litter of puppies shall not be considered a business.
F. 
All monies collected for licenses and fines will be retained by the town in the dog fund. A review of these fees may be held by the selectmen, town clerk, and the animal control officer whenever deemed necessary.
A. 
The Animal Control Officer shall attend to all complaints and other matters pertaining to dogs and may take whatever legal action he thinks is necessary.
B. 
If the Animal Control Officer determines that a bitch in heat, even when confined, is attracting other dogs thus causing a disturbance or damage to neighboring property or public areas, he may require the owner or keeper of said bitch to keep her in a kennel or remove her from the area until out of heat. The Animal Control Officer is authorized to require owners or keepers of dogs to restrain their dogs from running at large in schools, school playgrounds, parks or public recreation areas.
[Amended 4-27-1999 ATM, Art. 16; 5-24-2011 ATM, Art. 11; 5-22-2012 ATM, Art. 17; 11-12-2019 STM, Art. 13]
C. 
The ACO is authorized to charge a fee of $25 for any pick-up. A fee of $50 will be assessed for each subsequent offense.
[Added 4-27-1999 ATM, Art. 17]