This chapter is adopted pursuant to § 130 of the Town Law of the State of New York and Article 7 of the Agriculture and Markets Law of the State of New York for the promotion of the public welfare and health and general welfare of the community, including the protection and preservation of the property of the Town and all its inhabitants and of peace and good order in the controlling and regulating of muzzled and unmuzzled dogs in the Town of Beekman, and to provide for the enforcement thereof.
A.
It shall be unlawful for any owner of or any person harboring any dog in the Town of Beekman to permit or allow such muzzled or unmuzzled dog to:
(1)
Engage in habitual loud howling or barking or to conduct itself in such a manner so as to habitually annoy any person other than the owner or owners harboring such dog.
(2)
Cause damage or destruction to property or to commit a nuisance upon the premises of a person other than the owner or persons harboring such dog.
(3)
Chase or otherwise harass any person, except on property of its owner, in such manner as reasonably to cause intimidation or to put such person in reasonable apprehension of bodily harm or injury.
(4)
Habitually chase or bark at motor vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, horses and other conveyances.
(5)
Kill, injure or harass domestic animals.
(6)
Be without a license, as provided in § 109 of the Agriculture and Markets Law of the State of New York.
(7)
Chase, run after, injure or kill deer.
B.
No person owning or having custody of a dog, whether or not tagged or licensed, shall permit such dog to be at large in the Town of Beekman elsewhere than on the premises of the owner or person having such custody and control, unless restrained by a chain or leash not exceeding eight feet in length. The requirement of restraining a dog on a leash shall not apply at times the dog is within the confines of the Town of Beekman Dog Park.
[Amended 11-14-2012 by L.L. No. 3-2012]
It shall be unlawful for the owner or person harboring any female dog to permit such dog to run at large when in heat, and such dog shall be confined to the premises of such person during such period.
Any unlicensed or untagged dog found to be running at large in violation of § 118 of the Agriculture and Markets Law shall be seized, and such dog shall be properly fed and cared for until disposed of as provided by said § 118.
A Dog Control Officer, to be designated by the Town Board as provided by § 114 of the Agriculture and Markets Law,[1] may enforce the provisions of this chapter and may also investigate and report to a Town Justice of the Town of Beekman any dangerous dog as described in § 121 of the Agriculture and Markets Law[2] and see that the order or orders of the Town Justice in such cases are carried out.
A.
Any person who observes a dog causing damage or destruction to property of a person other than its owner or committing a nuisance upon the premises of a person other than its owner may file a signed complaint, under oath, with a Town Justice of the Town of Beekman specifying the objectionable conduct of the dog, the date thereof, the damage caused, a description of the dog and name and residence, if known, of the owner or other person harboring said dog.
B.
Upon receipt by the Town Justice of any complaint against the conduct of any particular dog, the Town Justice may summon the alleged owner or other person harboring said dog to appear in person before him. If the summons is disregarded, the Justice may permit the filing of an information and issue a warrant for the arrest of such person.