[Adopted 9-24-1979 by L.L. No. 4-1979; amended in its entirety 4-13-1998 by L.L. No.
6-1998 (Ch. 59, Art. I, of the 1994 Code)]
The Town Board of the Town of Mendon, by enacting the following
article, seeks to preserve the relationship between a dog, the dog's
owner and the public and at the same time protect the health, safety
and property of others from annoyance and damage caused by dogs running
at large or otherwise in violation of this article.
This article is enacted pursuant to the provisions of Article
7 of the Agriculture and Markets Law of the State of New York.
The title of this article shall be the "Dog Control Law of the
Town of Mendon."
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
AT LARGE
An unleashed dog off the premises of its owner.
DOG
Includes the plural "dogs" and both male and female, unless
the context indicates otherwise.
HARBOR
To provide food or shelter to any dog.
LEASHED or RESTRAINED BY A LEASH
The dog is equipped with a collar or harness, to which is
attached a leash of not more than eight feet in length, both collar
or harness and leash of sufficient strength to restrain the dog and
which leash is held by a person having the ability to control and
restrain the dog by means of the collar or harness and the leash.
OWNER
Any person who is a licensed owner of a dog and/or any person
who owns, keeps, feeds, harbors or has the care, custody or control
of a dog. The owner need not be a resident of the Town of Mendon;
but for a violation to occur, the dog must be within the Town limits
of the Town of Mendon. Dogs owned by minors shall be deemed to be
in the custody and control of the minor's parents or other head
of the household where the minor resides.
[Amended 5-10-1999 by L.L. No. 3-1999]
It shall be unlawful for any owner or any person harboring any
dog to permit or allow such dog, while in the Town of Mendon, to:
A. Be on private property without the consent of the owner of said property.
B. Be unleashed, off the premises of the owner.
C. Chase or run alongside motor vehicles or bicycles.
D. Chase children, deer or other animals.
E. Run at large with a pack of other dogs.
F. Engage in habitual loud howling or barking or conduct itself in such
manner so as to habitually and unreasonably annoy any person other
than the owner or person harboring such dog. Howling or barking for
more than 15 minutes straight or for more than 15 minutes in any continuous
sixty-minute period shall constitute "habitual loud howling or barking."
G. Cause damage or destruction to property or commit a nuisance by defecating
or urinating upon the premises of a person other than the owner or
person harboring such dog.
H. Bite, chase or otherwise harass any person in such a manner as to
cause intimidation, or put such person in apprehension of bodily harm
or injury whereby such dog may be considered to be a dangerous dog.
I. Enter any public buildings. (Dogs assisting the sight- or hearing-impaired
or physically challenged shall be exempt from this restriction.)
J. Violate other restrictions as set down in Article 7 of the Agriculture
and Markets Law of the State of New York.
In order to obtain an authorization for release form for a dog
that has been impounded, the owner shall pay the Town Clerk of the
Town of Mendon such fees as are provided by the Agriculture and Markets
Law of the State of New York, and/or such other fees or charges as
may be established by resolution of the Town Board. Said owner must
also show proof that the dog is currently licensed or purchase same.
[Adopted 2-28-2011 by L.L. No. 1-2011]
The title of this article shall be the "Dog Licensing Law of
the Town of Mendon, County of Monroe."
This article is enacted pursuant to the provisions of (Chapter
59, Part T, of the Laws of 2010) Article 7 of the Agriculture and Markets Law and the Municipal Home Rule Law of the State of New York.
The Town Board of the Town of Mendon, County of Monroe hereby
finds and declares that the purpose of this article is to provide
for the licensing and identification of dogs.
The Town does not allow the licensing of dogs by a shelter.
The shelter must send the adoptive dog owners to the Town Clerk of
the town or city in which the dog will be harbored for licensing or
to the town clerk of the town where the shelter is located for the
purchase of the license for adoption purposes.
Any dog harbored within the Town which is owned by a resident
of New York City or licensed by the City of New York, or which is
owned by a nonresident of New York State and licensed by a jurisdiction
outside the State of New York, shall, for a period of 30 days, be
exempt from the licensing and identification provisions of this article.
Each license application shall be accompanied by proof that
the dog has been vaccinated against rabies or a statement from a licensed
veterinarian that such vaccination would endanger the dog's life,
in which case vaccination shall not be required.
Each license issued pursuant to this article shall be valid
for a period of one year and shall expire on the last day of the last
month of the period for which it was issued. No license shall be issued
for a period expiring after the last day of the 11th month following
the expiration date of the current rabies certificate for the dog
being licensed.
[Amended 10-15-2018 by L.L. No. 3-2018]
A. Individual dog license fees shall be set from time to time by Town
Board resolution.
B. State-mandated animal population control surcharge.
(1) Each individual dog license for a spayed or neutered dog shall be
subject to an animal population control surcharge in an amount set
from time to time by Town Board resolution, payable at the time the
dog license application is filed.
(2) Each individual dog license for an unspayed or unneutered dog shall
be subject to an animal population control surcharge in an amount
set from time to time by Town Board resolution, payable at the time
the dog license application is filed.
C. Dog enumeration surcharge. Each dog found to be unlicensed during
a Town dog enumeration shall be subject to a dog enumeration surcharge
in an amount set from time to time by Town Board resolution, payable
at the time the application is filed to license said dog.
D. Optional replacement tag fee. A replacement tag fee as set from time
to time by Town Board resolution shall be charged to offset the costs
associated with the provision and replacement of identification tags.
E. Optional fee exemptions.
(1) There shall be no fee for any license issued for the following (as
defined in Article 7 of the State Agriculture and Markets Law):
(2) Each copy of any license for such dogs shall be conspicuously marked
"Guide Dog," "Hearing Dog," "Service Dog," "Working Search Dog," "War
Dog," "Detection Dog," "Police Work Dog," or "Therapy Dog," as may
be appropriate, by the Clerk.
Any person convicted of a violation of this article shall be
liable for a civil penalty of $25 for a first violation; $50 for a
second violation; and $75 for each subsequent violation.