General Laws

[ Text of section effective until October 31, 2012. For text effective October 31, 2012, see below.]

  Section 137A. Every person maintaining a kennel shall have a kennel license. Any owner or keeper of less than four dogs three months old or over who does not maintain a kennel may elect to secure a kennel license in lieu of licensing such dogs under section one hundred and thirty-seven, and during such time as he does not license such dogs thereunder shall have a kennel license and shall be subject to this section and to sections one hundred and thirty-seven B and one hundred and thirty-seven C and to so much of section one hundred and forty-one as relates to violations of this section, section one hundred and thirty-seven B or section one hundred and thirty-seven C to the same extent as though he were maintaining a kennel. Kennel licenses under this section shall be issued by the police commissioner of the city of Boston if the dogs are to be kept under such license in said city or by the clerk of any other town if to be so kept in said town.

  Such license shall be in a form prescribed by the director, upon a blank to be furnished, except in the county of Suffolk, by the county in which the town is located. Such license shall be in lieu of any other license for any dog while kept at such kennel during any portion of the period for which such kennel license is issued. The holder of a license for a kennel shall cause each dog kept therein to wear, while it is at large, a collar or harness of leather or other suitable material, to which shall be securely attached a tag upon which shall appear the number of such kennel license, the name of the town issuing such license and the year of issue. Such tags shall be in a form prescribed by the director, and shall be furnished to such owner or keeper by the clerk of the town in which such kennel is licensed, or, if licensed in Boston, by the police commissioner, in quantities not less than the number of dogs kept in such kennel. The fee for each license for a kennel shall be ten dollars if not more than four dogs are kept in said kennel, twenty-five dollars if more than four but not more than ten dogs are kept therein and fifty dollars if more than ten dogs are kept therein; provided, that, for the purpose of determining the amount of such fee for any kennel, dogs under the age of six months shall not be counted in the number of dogs kept therein. The name and address of the owner of each dog kept in any kennel, if other than the person maintaining the kennel, shall be kept on file thereat and available to inspection by the county commissioners and by any dog officer, natural resource officer, deputy natural resource officer, fish and game warden or police officer.

  The clerk of any town, or in Boston the police commissioner, shall upon application issue without charge a kennel license to any domestic charitable corporation incorporated exclusively for the purpose of protecting animals from cruelty, neglect or abuse and for the relief of suffering among animals.

  Any holder of a license for a kennel in any town may remove his kennel to a location in any other town in the same county, with the written approval of such new location of the mayor or selectmen of the town to which he removes his kennel. Before such removal he shall deliver to the clerk of the town into which he intends to remove his kennel the written approval of the mayor or selectmen thereof and his original license, and the clerk shall thereupon, on payment of a fee of one dollar, issue to him a new license covering the new location for the balance of the period of the original license.

Chapter 140: Section 137A. Kennel licenses

[ Text of section as amended by 2012, 193, Sec. 4 effective October 31, 2012. For text effective until October 31, 2012, see above.]

  Section 137A. (a) A person maintaining a kennel shall obtain a kennel license. An owner or keeper of less than 4 dogs, 3 months old or older, who does not maintain a kennel may elect to secure a kennel license in lieu of licensing the dogs under section 137 and shall be subject to this section, sections 137B and 137C and so much of section 141 as it relates to violations of this section to the same extent as though the owner or keeper were maintaining a kennel. In the case of an applicant for initial licensure and in the case of an applicant for license renewal, a licensing authority shall not issue a kennel license until a kennel has passed inspection by an animal control officer.

  (b) A kennel license shall be in lieu of any other license for a dog kept at a kennel during any portion of the period for which the kennel license is valid. A kennel licensee shall cause each dog kept in its kennel to wear, while it is at large, a collar or harness of leather or other suitable material, to which a tag shall be securely attached. The tag shall have inscribed upon it the number of the kennel license, the name of the city or town issuing the license and the year of issue. Tags shall be furnished to the owner or keeper by the licensing authority in quantities not less than the number of dogs kept in the kennel. The issuing city or town shall determine the period of time for which a kennel license shall be valid, including the date of issuance of the license through the date on which the license expires, inclusive, and shall further determine the fee for the issuance and renewal of the license. To determine the amount of the license fee for a kennel, a dog under the age of 6 months shall not be counted in the number of dogs kept in a kennel. The name and address of the owner of each dog kept in a kennel, if other than the person maintaining the kennel, shall be kept at the kennel and available for inspection by an animal control officer, natural resource officer, deputy natural resource officer, fish and game warden or police officer.

  (c) The licensing authority shall issue a kennel license without charge to a domestic charitable corporation incorporated exclusively for the purpose of protecting animals from cruelty, neglect or abuse or for the relief of suffering.