[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Hamburg 7-12-1965 by L.L. No. 3-1965; amended in its entirety 11-15-2010 by L.L. No. 9-2010. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Parks and recreation — See Ch. 188, Art. I.
Solid waste — See Ch. 220.
The purpose of this chapter shall be to preserve the public peace and good order in the Town of Hamburg and to contribute to the public welfare and the preservation and protection of the property and the persons of the inhabitants of said Town by declaring and enforcing certain regulations and restrictions on activities of dogs within the Town.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
AT LARGE
Either:
A. 
Elsewhere than on the premises of the owner; or
B. 
On the premises of another person without the knowledge, consent and approval of said other person(s).
DOG
Both male and female dogs, licensed or unlicensed.
DOG CONTROL OFFICER
A person authorized by the Town Board to enforce the provisions of this chapter and provisions of the Agriculture and Markets Law of the State of New York.
IDENTIFICATION TAG
A tag issued by the Town Clerk which sets forth the identification number together with the name of the Town and state, the telephone number of the Town Clerk, and any other information deemed necessary by the Town Clerk.
OWNER
Any person, firm, association or corporation owning, harboring, keeping or having the custody or control of any dog.
A. 
Running at large prohibited; restraint required; exception.
(1) 
No person owning, harboring or having the care, custody or charge of any dog, whether male or female or whether licensed or not, shall allow or permit such dog at any time to run at large within the Town of Hamburg, unless such dog shall be effectively restrained by a chain or a leash not exceeding eight feet in length in the care of a competent person. In no event should said dog enter upon the lands of another without his consent.
(2) 
Nothing contained in Subsection A(1) herein is intended to apply to a guide dog, a hearing dog.
[Amended 11-7-2016 by L.L. No. 7-2016]
B. 
No owner of a dog within the Town of Hamburg shall suffer or permit any dog or dogs to create any unreasonably loud or disturbing noise of such intensity and duration as to be detrimental to the life, health or welfare of any individual, and the violation of any provisions hereof is prohibited and deemed to be a public nuisance, and such dog or dogs shall be so housed and confined in a place so constructed as to prevent such disturbing and unnecessary noise as may result from the habitual or continual barking of such dog or dogs. The provisions of this section shall be liberally construed to prevent excessive, unreasonable, disturbing and unnecessary noise, due consideration being given to the circumstances, time of day, particular location of each violation and the demands of the public health, safety and welfare.
C. 
Denial of entry. No person, owner, agent and/or employee of any commercial or retail establishment or association within the Town of Hamburg shall prevent a guide dog, hearing dog, therapy dog, or service dog (as defined in Article 7 of the New York State Agriculture and Markets Law), while under the control of a person needing assistance, from entering his or her premises or a public location.
D. 
All pet owners and keepers are required to immediately and properly dispose of their pet's solid waste deposited on any property, public or private, not owned or possessed by the person. On any property owned or possessed by that person, all pet owners and keepers are required to dispose of their pet's solid waste at a frequency of at least weekly or more frequently if necessary to prevent a public health nuisance.
[Added 4-25-2022 by L.L. No. 1-2022]
A. 
Any person owning, possessing or harboring a dog four months of age or over in the Town of Hamburg shall be required to have the dog vaccinated to prevent the spread of rabies.
B. 
Subsection A shall not apply to any dog whose life would be endangered by a rabies vaccination, provided that a written statement, certified by a duly licensed veterinarian, specifying such condition, is presented to the Town Clerk and filed with the Town Clerk's office.
A. 
License required. Any person owning, possessing or harboring a dog four months of age or over in the Town of Hamburg shall obtain a current license for said dog and shall place and keep on such dog a collar to which shall be securely attached a valid identification tag for that dog, in accordance with the requirements of this chapter.
B. 
At the time of licensing or license renewal, a current, valid certificate, indicating that the dog has been vaccinated to prevent the spread of rabies, or a written statement that the dog's life would be endangered by a rabies vaccination, certified by a duly licensed veterinarian, as provided for in § 100-4B above, must be surrendered to the Town Clerk's office.
Applications for a license or a renewal thereof shall be accompanied by a nonrefundable processing fee in an amount determined from time to time by resolution of the Town Board, plus $1 mandated NYS surcharge for an altered dog or mandated NYS surcharge for an unaltered dog. A senior citizen discount of $3 shall be applicable (65 years of age or older) to the base fee upon proper proof. A portion of the fee shall be paid over to the agency designated pursuant to Article 7 of the Agriculture and Markets Law to be used for animal population control efforts. No license fee or part thereof shall be refunded because of a subsequent death, loss, spaying or neutering, or removal from the Town of such dog.
A. 
An application for a license or renewal shall be in the form prescribed by the Hamburg Town Clerk and shall provide for the following minimum information:
(1) 
The name, residence address and telephone number of each owner; and
(2) 
The name, sex, approximate age, breed, color, markings and other identifying details for the dog; and
(3) 
State whether the dog has been spayed or neutered; and
(4) 
Such other information or documentation deemed necessary by the Town Clerk to effectuate the purpose of this chapter.
B. 
Rabies certification. The application for a license or renewal shall be accompanied by a statement certified by a licensed veterinarian showing that the dog has received the rabies vaccine or, in lieu thereof, a statement certified by a licensed veterinarian that because of the dog's age or other reason, the life of the dog would be endangered by the administration of the vaccine.
C. 
Spayed/neutered certificate. In the case of an altered dog, every application shall be accompanied by a certificate signed by a licensed veterinarian or a sworn affidavit signed by the owner in the form acceptable to the Town Clerk showing that the dog has been spayed or neutered, except that such certificate or affidavit is not required if same is already on file with the Town Clerk. In lieu of the spayed or neutered certificate, an owner may present a statement certified by a licensed veterinarian stating that he or she has examined the dog and found that, because of old age or other reason, the life of the dog would be endangered by spaying or neutering. In such case, the license fee for the dog shall be the same as an altered dog.
A. 
Upon validation by the Town Clerk, a dog license shall be issued and a record of its issuance retained in the office of the Town Clerk. Such record shall be made available upon the request to the State Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets, or successor thereof.
B. 
No license shall be transferable. Upon the transfer of ownership of any dog, the new owner shall immediately apply for a new license for the dog. A license cannot be transferred to another dog.
C. 
Identification tag.
(1) 
The Town Clerk shall assign an identification number to a dog when it is first licensed. Such identification number shall be carried by the dog on an identification tag, which shall be affixed to the collar of the dog at all times.
(2) 
No tag carrying an identification number shall be affixed to the collar of any dog other than the one to which the number has been assigned.
(3) 
Any person wishing to replace a tag previously issued shall pay the sum of $3 to the Town Clerk for a replacement tag.
D. 
The owner or keeper of any dog shall provide proof of said license upon request of the Dog Control Officer, police officers or other authorized officials.
All licenses issued pursuant to this article, and any renewal thereof, shall expire on the last day of the month which is one year after the date of issuance, except in the event an applicant for a license or renewal presents a statement certified by a licensed veterinarian, in lieu of a rabies certificate, then the license shall be issued for one year from the date of the statement.
A. 
Change in address. In the event of a change in address of the owner of record of any dog, the owner of record shall (new owner in case of change in ownership), within 10 days of the change, file with the Town Clerk a written notification of such change.
B. 
Change in owner. In the event in the change of ownership, the new owner shall immediately apply for a new license for the dog. Such new owner shall be liable for any violation of this chapter from the date of change in ownership, even if prior to the application for a new license for the dog.
C. 
Lost or stolen dog. If any dog which has been licensed is lost or stolen, the owner of record shall within 10 days of discovery of such loss or theft, file with the Town Clerk a written notification of such event In the case of loss or theft, the owner of record shall not be liable for any violation of this chapter committed after such notification has been made.
D. 
Death of dog. In case of the death of a licensed dog, the owner of record shall notify the Town Clerk of the dog's death either before or upon receipt of a renewal notice from the Town Clerk.
A. 
It shall be the duty of the Dog Control Officer of the Town of Hamburg to enforce the provisions of this chapter.
B. 
A Dog Control Officer shall have all the powers of a constable or a peace officer in the execution of the provisions of this chapter, including the service of a summons and/or the service of an appearance ticket, pursuant to § 114 of the Agriculture and Markets Law of the State of New York, and shall keep such records as required by this chapter and by Article 7 of the Agriculture and Markets Law of the State of New York.
Any dog control officer or police officer or peace officer may seize and impound a dog found to be at large in violation of § 100-3A, § 100-5 or § 100-8 of Chapter 100 of the Code of the Town of Hamburg.
A. 
Any dog found to be at large and seized by any dog control officer or peace officer shall be held for the redemption period and may be redeemed by the owner within the time and in the manner prescribed by § 118 of Article 7 of the Agriculture and Markets Law of the State of New York, provided that the owner pays the following impoundment fees and said owner shows due proof that said dog is duly licensed or that said owner thereupon properly licenses said dog. The owner of any dog impounded by the Town of Hamburg shall be entitled to redeem that dog within five business days, from the day the dog is impounded, excluding the day the dog is impounded, provided that the owner produces proof the dog is licensed and identified and pays the following fees:
(1) 
Ten dollars, plus an amount to be determined from time to time by resolution of the Town Board per day of impoundment for the first impoundment of any dog owned by that person;
(2) 
Twenty dollars, plus an amount to be determined from time to time by resolution of the Town Board, per day of impoundment for the second impoundment of any dog owned by that person within one year of the first impoundment;
(3) 
Thirty dollars, plus an amount to be determined from time to time by resolution of the Town Board per day of impoundment for the third impoundment of any dog owned by that person within one year of the first impoundment.
B. 
If the Dog Control Officer or Police Officer finds a dog that has been reported to be running at large, and the owner is found by the DCO or Police Officer, and the owner can show proof that the dog is duly licensed and has a current rabies shot, the dog may be returned to the owner and § 100-13A(1) through A(3) are waived by the Town of Hamburg.
[Added 11-7-2016 by L.L. No. 7-2016[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: This local law also redesignated former Subsections B through E as Subsections C through F, respectively.
C. 
If the dog is licensed, a notice of impoundment shall be sent by the Dog Control Officer to the owner of record by regular U.S. Mail as soon as practicable.
D. 
Return of the dog to the owner of record shall be dependent upon admission of ownership or the keeping of said dog, and assumption of responsibility by the owner. If said dog is unlicensed, a current license shall be obtained and all impound fees shall be paid prior to the release of the dog, in addition to any fees charged for boarding, medical costs or other care costs.
E. 
Failure of an owner to redeem any dog, after due notice, shall not relieve said owner from payment of the prescribed impoundment fees set forth herein.
F. 
The seizure of any dog shall not relieve any person from any violation provided for in § 100-14B of this chapter.
A. 
It shall be a violation, punishable as provided in Subsection B of this section, for the owner of any dog to permit, at any time, a violation of this chapter.
B. 
A violation of this section shall be punishable, where prosecuted, pursuant to the Penal Law, by a fine of not more than $25, except that:
(1) 
Where the person was found to have violated this section within the preceding five years, the fine may not be more than $50.
(2) 
Where the person was found to have committed two or more such violations within the preceding five years, it shall be punishable by a fine of not more than $100 or imprisonment for not more than 15 days, or both.
This chapter to take effect immediately upon passing and filing with the Secretary of State.