These are Weymouth, MA's doggie rules.
SECTION 6-801 Dogs and Cats
(a) Leashing required; length of leash
No person shall permit a dog owned or kept by him beyond the confines of the property of
the owner or keeper unless the dog is held firmly on a leash. The length of a leash shall not exceed
six (6) feet when off the property of the owner or keeper. An owner or keeper may use a leash of a
greater length to restrain a dog on the property of an owner or keeper, provided that the dog is
securely confined to the premises of the owner or keeper.
(b) Disturbing the peace
No person shall own or keep within the Town any dog which by biting, barking, howling or
in any other manner disturbs the peace and quiet of any neighborhood or endangers the safety of any
person or domesticated or farm animal.
(c) Restrictions Defecation
An owner or keeper of a dog shall remove, and dispose of any feces left by such dog on any
sidewalk, street, park or other public area or on any private property which is not owned or occupied
by such owner. If a dog defecates on property other than that of the owner or keeper, the owner or
keeper of the dog is responsible for the immediate removal of the feces.
Feces shall only be disposed of at a place suitable and regularly reserved for the disposal of human feces or otherwise designated by the Board of Health, to include an amount of feces that can be
disposed of in the regular trash located upon the property owned or possessed by the person in
control of the dog, provided it is contained in a plastic or paper bag. It shall be unlawful for any
person to allow dog feces to accumulate in any yard, pen, building, structure or premises so as to
cause an annoyance or discomfort to the public.
(d) Penalties
The Animal Control Officer is hereby authorized to seek a complaint against the owner or
keeper of a dog who is found to have violated the provisions of this Ordinance. This section shall be
subject to enforcement under the provisions of C. 40, s. 21D.
1. The penalty for the first violation shall be twenty dollars ($20).
2. The penalty for the second violation shall be twenty-five dollars ($25).
3. The penalty for the third and each subsequent violation shall be fifty dollars ($50).
(e) Order to restrain or muzzle; review of order by court
In addition to the foregoing penalties, the Animal Control Officer is also authorized and
empowered to muzzle, restrain or order the owner or keeper of a dog to muzzle or restrain a dog
pending a hearing before the Chief of Police as hereinafter provided, when the Animal Control
Officer finds that a dog has bitten or threatened any person or domesticated farm animal; chased any
vehicle upon any way open to public travel in the Town; or the owner had violated the provision of
this Ordinance more than three (3) times in any calendar year. The owner or keeper of any dog that
has been ordered to be restrained or muzzled under the provisions of this section may request the
Animal Control Officer in writing to vacate such order. If such order is not vacated, the owner or
keeper of such dog may bring a petition in District Court praying that the order of restraint may be
reviewed by the court as provided in C. 140, s. 157.(f) Additional remedies
In addition to any other statutory authority as may be, including but not limited to C. 140 the the
Animal Control Officer may, with the approval of the Chief of Police, enter a complaint before the
said Chief for the purpose of obtaining an order with respect to the control of disposition of a dog
found to be uncontrollable or whose owner or keeper is unresponsive to any other penalties
contained in this Ordinance.
(g) Penalties in addition to license fee; dogs in heat
In addition to the requirement that a dog shall be duly licensed as required by law, the owner
of a dog which is not licensed on or before April 30 in any year shall be subject to a late fee penalty
of twenty five dollars ($25) in addition to the license fee upon the complaint of the Animal Control
Officer. The owner of any unspayed and unleashed female dog found by the Animal Control Officer
roaming at large in season (heat) off the premises of the owner or keeper shall be subject to a penalty
of twenty five dollars ($25) and shall be deemed to warrant only the one (1) penalty.
(h) Duty of Animal Control Officer; registry required
It shall be the duty of the Animal Control Officer and every police officer to apprehend any
dog found running around at large and to impound such dog in the Town pound. The Animal
Control Officer upon receiving any dog shall make a complete registry, entering the breed, color and sex of such dog and whether licensed. If licensed, the name and address of the owner and the
number of the license tag shall be recorded.
(i) Notice of impoundment; reclamation; charges
Not later than three (3) days after the impounding of any dog, the owner shall be notified,
or, if the owner of the dog is unknown, written notice shall be posted for three (3) days at one (1) or
more conspicuous places in the Town describing the dog and the place and time of taking. The owner of any dog so impounded may reclaim such dog upon payment of the license fee, if unpaid,
and of all costs and charges incurred by the Town for impounding and maintenance of such dog.
Charges shall be paid to the Town for keeping any dog. The daily rate for keeping of a dog shall be
set from time to time as provided in Section 5-305 of these Ordinances.
SECTION 6-801 Dogs and Cats
(a) Leashing required; length of leash
No person shall permit a dog owned or kept by him beyond the confines of the property of
the owner or keeper unless the dog is held firmly on a leash. The length of a leash shall not exceed
six (6) feet when off the property of the owner or keeper. An owner or keeper may use a leash of a
greater length to restrain a dog on the property of an owner or keeper, provided that the dog is
securely confined to the premises of the owner or keeper.
(b) Disturbing the peace
No person shall own or keep within the Town any dog which by biting, barking, howling or
in any other manner disturbs the peace and quiet of any neighborhood or endangers the safety of any
person or domesticated or farm animal.
(c) Restrictions Defecation
An owner or keeper of a dog shall remove, and dispose of any feces left by such dog on any
sidewalk, street, park or other public area or on any private property which is not owned or occupied
by such owner. If a dog defecates on property other than that of the owner or keeper, the owner or
keeper of the dog is responsible for the immediate removal of the feces.
Feces shall only be disposed of at a place suitable and regularly reserved for the disposal of human feces or otherwise designated by the Board of Health, to include an amount of feces that can be
disposed of in the regular trash located upon the property owned or possessed by the person in
control of the dog, provided it is contained in a plastic or paper bag. It shall be unlawful for any
person to allow dog feces to accumulate in any yard, pen, building, structure or premises so as to
cause an annoyance or discomfort to the public.
(d) Penalties
The Animal Control Officer is hereby authorized to seek a complaint against the owner or
keeper of a dog who is found to have violated the provisions of this Ordinance. This section shall be
subject to enforcement under the provisions of C. 40, s. 21D.
1. The penalty for the first violation shall be twenty dollars ($20).
2. The penalty for the second violation shall be twenty-five dollars ($25).
3. The penalty for the third and each subsequent violation shall be fifty dollars ($50).
(e) Order to restrain or muzzle; review of order by court
In addition to the foregoing penalties, the Animal Control Officer is also authorized and
empowered to muzzle, restrain or order the owner or keeper of a dog to muzzle or restrain a dog
pending a hearing before the Chief of Police as hereinafter provided, when the Animal Control
Officer finds that a dog has bitten or threatened any person or domesticated farm animal; chased any
vehicle upon any way open to public travel in the Town; or the owner had violated the provision of
this Ordinance more than three (3) times in any calendar year. The owner or keeper of any dog that
has been ordered to be restrained or muzzled under the provisions of this section may request the
Animal Control Officer in writing to vacate such order. If such order is not vacated, the owner or
keeper of such dog may bring a petition in District Court praying that the order of restraint may be
reviewed by the court as provided in C. 140, s. 157.(f) Additional remedies
In addition to any other statutory authority as may be, including but not limited to C. 140 the the
Animal Control Officer may, with the approval of the Chief of Police, enter a complaint before the
said Chief for the purpose of obtaining an order with respect to the control of disposition of a dog
found to be uncontrollable or whose owner or keeper is unresponsive to any other penalties
contained in this Ordinance.
(g) Penalties in addition to license fee; dogs in heat
In addition to the requirement that a dog shall be duly licensed as required by law, the owner
of a dog which is not licensed on or before April 30 in any year shall be subject to a late fee penalty
of twenty five dollars ($25) in addition to the license fee upon the complaint of the Animal Control
Officer. The owner of any unspayed and unleashed female dog found by the Animal Control Officer
roaming at large in season (heat) off the premises of the owner or keeper shall be subject to a penalty
of twenty five dollars ($25) and shall be deemed to warrant only the one (1) penalty.
(h) Duty of Animal Control Officer; registry required
It shall be the duty of the Animal Control Officer and every police officer to apprehend any
dog found running around at large and to impound such dog in the Town pound. The Animal
Control Officer upon receiving any dog shall make a complete registry, entering the breed, color and sex of such dog and whether licensed. If licensed, the name and address of the owner and the
number of the license tag shall be recorded.
(i) Notice of impoundment; reclamation; charges
Not later than three (3) days after the impounding of any dog, the owner shall be notified,
or, if the owner of the dog is unknown, written notice shall be posted for three (3) days at one (1) or
more conspicuous places in the Town describing the dog and the place and time of taking. The owner of any dog so impounded may reclaim such dog upon payment of the license fee, if unpaid,
and of all costs and charges incurred by the Town for impounding and maintenance of such dog.
Charges shall be paid to the Town for keeping any dog. The daily rate for keeping of a dog shall be
set from time to time as provided in Section 5-305 of these Ordinances.
