[Amended 2-18-1985 by Ord. No. 280, approved 2-19-1985]
For the purpose of this article, the terms used herein are defined
as follows:
Any officer or agency, public or private, designated by the
County Commissioners of Worcester County and/or the Mayor and Council
of Pocomoke City as having the responsibility for the administration
of any or all provisions of this article.
A dog shall be deemed to be "at large" if off the premises
of its owner and not under the immediate control of a person. No dog
running "at large" by accident, with a person in pursuit thereof,
shall be deemed as running "at large" within this definition.
Any person having a right of property in a dog or any person
who keeps or harbors a dog or has it in his or her care or permits
it to remain on or about the premises occupied by or controlled by
him or her.
That action or combination of actions which serves to disturb,
annoy, endanger or offend the public in general and is unreasonable,
unwarranted or unlawful and which interferes with the enjoyment of
life and property. For the purpose of this article, by way of explanation,
without limitation, the following types of actions may constitute
a "public nuisance":
The chasing of automobiles, other motor vehicles, mopeds, bicycles
or persons.
The destruction of flora or fauna, be it flower beds, livestock
or other.
Running in packs.
Barking excessively.
Biting, clawing or otherwise injuring persons.
Any other type of activity which is found to be dangerous, annoying
or disturbing to persons or property.
No owner of a dog, whether such dog is licensed or unlicensed,
shall permit such dog to run at large off the premises of the owner
in the City of Pocomoke City, except when it is under the control
of the owner or an authorized agent of the owner, nor shall such owner
allow a dog to engage in the actions which constitute a public nuisance,
as herein defined.
All dogs which are kept, harbored or maintained by their owners
in the City of Pocomoke City shall be registered in accordance with
the Worcester County Dog Ordinance if over four months of age. Such
registration is required for the purpose of this article to identify
the dogs so kept, harbored or maintained in the City, and said registration
is required under this article regardless of whether or not such registration
would be required under the provisions of the Worcester County Dog
Ordinance. The provisions of this section shall not be intended to
apply to dogs whose owners are visiting temporarily within the City
or to dogs brought into the City for the purpose of participating
in any dog show or to Seeing Eye dogs which are properly trained to
assist blind persons, when such dogs are actually being used by blind
persons for the purpose of aiding them in going from place to place.
When the dog is registered in accordance with the provisions of § 89-3, every owner shall be required to provide his or her dog or dogs with a collar to which the registration tag shall be affixed, and said owner shall have the responsibility to see to it that the collar and tag are constantly worn.
Any person desiring to make a complaint by virtue of any violation
of the terms of this article shall notify the Animal Control Authority
of said complaint, and the person making said complaint shall be provided
with the proper form by the Animal Control Authority in order to make
the complaint in writing.[1]
The Mayor and Council of the City of Pocomoke City hereby state
that this article shall be construed in addition to and not in lieu
of any other ordinance, statute or regulation in Worcester County
or the State of Maryland regarding the obligations of the dog owners
in said jurisdictions.
