Town of Sunderland,
Massachusetts
Town of Sunderland,
Massachusetts
Animal Control Officer
Daniel Potyrala, Animal Control Officer
Contact:
Cell Phone: 695.1211
Mailing Address:
12 School Street
Sunderland, MA 01375
Policies/Fees/Fines:
Dog By-Law Policies and Violation Fees
1. To enforce and adhere to all local and state regulations related to dogs.
2. All dogs picked up and kenneled in Sunderland.
3. Dogs are let into adoption to first suitable home and require licensing within 7 days.
4. Fees for offenses other than those listed below are determined by the Animal Control Officer and in accordance with Mass. General Laws.
5. Fees are reviewed annually.
Offense First Second
Non-tagged $25.00 $40.00
Non-licensed $25.00 $40.00
Unvaccinated $25.00 $40.00
Unrestrained, running at large $25.00 $40.00
Disturbing the peace, excessive barking $25.00 $40.00
Inadequate living conditions $25.00 $40.00
Endangering a person, chasing, or biting $50.00 $100.00
*To kill or maim an animal $50.00 $100.00
Harboring a stray, failure to notify authorities $100.00 minimum
Adoption fee *$10.00
Pick up fee $25.00 per occurrence
Care and Custody $15.00 per day, plus medical attention if needed
* Plus expenses
Chapter 130, DOG
CONTROL
[HISTORY: Adopted 4-28-1994 ATM, Art. 28 (and repealing former Ch. 130, Dogs,
enacted by the Board of Selectmen as follows: Art. I, Licensing, adopted
5-28-1974; and Art. II, Restraint; Fines, adopted 3-2-1992). Amendments noted
where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
General noise restrictions -- See Ch. 89.
Dead animals -- See Ch. 166.
§ 130-1. Purpose.
The town requires that all dog owners keep their dogs under control at all time
for the purpose of:
A. Protecting people and animals from injury.
B. Protecting property from damage.
C. Preventing dog-related nuisances.
§ 130-2. License requirements; fees.
A. The registering, numbering, description and licensing, pursuant to the
provisions of Chapter 140 of the Massachusetts General Laws of all dogs and all
kennels in the Town of Sunderland shall be conducted in the office of the Town
Clerk between March 1 and April 30 of each year.
B. The fees for the prescribed services in Subsection A shall be as prescribed
in Chapter 140 of the Massachusetts General Laws, except that the annual fee for
the licenses shall be reviewed and set by the Selectmen annually. [Amended
4-28-1995 ATM, Art. 31]
C. A penalty fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.) shall be charged to every
owner/keeper of a dog six (6) months or older who fails to license said dog by
June 1 of each year.
D. The fees collected shall be deposited into the general fund.
§ 130-3. Nonconforming dogs.
Any owner or keeper who allows his/her dog to do any of the following is in
violation of this chapter:
A. Run at large or go beyond the confines of his or her property unless the
animal is held firmly on a leash.
B. Bite, bark, howl or in any other manner disturb the peace or quiet of any
neighborhood or endanger the safety of any person.
C. Run at large or unmuzzled in violation of any order of the Board of Selectmen
or of the Dog Officer.
D. Worry, kill, maim or otherwise injure another's fowl, livestock or domestic
animal.
E. Chase another's vehicle, person or bicycle on any way open to public travel.
F. Be unlicensed or untagged in violation of state law.
§ 130-4. Complaints; confinement; release or destruction.
A. Any person may complain to the Dog Officer of a violation of the preceding
sections. On receipt of such a complaint, the Officer shall investigate and may
order the owner or keeper of the dog to restrain or muzzle the dog as the
Officer deems necessary. The Officer may file a report with the Board of
Selectmen asking permanent restraint or destruction of the dog. The Selectmen,
in receipt of such report and after examination of the complaint under oath, may
make such order to restrain, muzzle or dispose of such dogs as they deem
necessary.
B. The Dog Officer may pick up nonconforming dogs as described in § 130-3. If by
license or other means the owner of a dog can be identified, the Dog Officer may
return the dog to the owner and issue a citation. Or he/she may confine the dog
to the Town Pound for not more than ten (10) days.
C. If a veterinarian certifies that a dog is seriously injured or ill, the dog
may be euthanized before the ten (10) days is over.
D. No dog shall be released until it is licensed and all kennel fees and
penalties are paid.
E. Any dog not claimed after ten (10) days may become the property of a local
nonprofit dog protection organization to be placed for adoption or euthanized.
§ 130-5. Violations and penalties.
Penalties for violation of any section of this chapter shall be Twenty-Five
dollars ($25.) for the first offense and forty dollars ($40.) for each
subsequent offense in the calendar year.
§ 130-6. Liability for damage to person or property.
A. The owner or keeper, or if the owner or keeper be a minor, the parent or
guardian of such minor, of a dog that shall cause damage to either the body or
property of any person shall be liable for such damage, unless such damage shall
have been occasioned to the body or property of a person who, at the time such
damage was sustained, was committing trespassing or was teasing, tormenting or
abusing such dog.
B. If a minor is under seven (7) years at the time the damage was done, it shall
be presumed that such minor was not committing a trespass or teasing, tormenting
or abusing such dog, and the burden of proof thereof shall be upon the defendant
in such action.
Chapter 133, FEES
[Various fees which are promulgated from time to time by the Board of Selectmen,
including business license fees and sewer use fees, are on file in the office of
the Town Clerk.]