Glover Town Documents

Town of Glover Ordinance for the Licensing and Control of Domestic Dogs or Wolf-hybrid

Authority. The Town of Glover will regulate the licensing and control of domestic dogs or wolf- hybrids within the borders of the Town generally in keeping with the provisions of VSA T.20 Sections 3545-3681,24 VSA Sections 2291 (10, 14, 15) and 24 VSA Chapter 59.

Purpose. It is the purpose of this ordinance to regulate the keeping of dogs and wolf hybrids, to protect public health and safety, and to protect the quiet enjoyment of residential homes and properties.

Definitions.

1. Dog. Any member of the canine species.
2. Wolf hybrid. An animal that is the progeny of a dog and a wolf, that is described or represented to    be a wolf hybrid, or that exhibits primary physical or behavioral wolf characteristics.
3. Owner. Any person who has actual or constructive possession of a dog or wolf hybrid.
4. Running at large. A dog or wolf hybrid which is not on a leash, in a vehicle, on the owner's property, on the property of another person with that person's permission, clearly under the verbal or non-verbal control of the owner, or hunting with the owner.
5. Nuisance animal. Any dog or wolf hybrid which continually howls, barks, whines or otherwise acts to disturb the peace, or acts in a vicious, destructive or harmful manner against persons, property or animals in the Town of Glover.

General Provisions. Any resident of the Town of Glover who is the owner of a dog or wolf- hybrid more than six months old shall annually on or before April 1st cause it to be registered on a form provided at the Glover Town Clerk's office. The license will be valid until April 1st of the following year. The owner of the licensed animal shall cause it to wear a collar and attach thereto the license tag issued by the Town Clerk. Dog or wolf-hybrid owners shall pay for the license such fees as determined by the State of Vermont for each neutered or un-neutered animal. Before a person shall be entitled to license a neutered dog or wolf-hybrid he/she shall exhibit to the Town Clerk a certificate signed by a duly licensed veterinarian showing that the animal has been sterilized. Before obtaining a license for an animal six months of age or older, the applicant shall deliver to the Town Clerk a certificate or certified copy thereof signed by a duly licensed veterinarian, stating that the animal has received a current pre-exposure rabies vaccination with an approved vaccine, and the person shall certify that the dog/wolf-hybrid described in the certificate is the animal to be licensed. The Town Clerk shall keep on file the rabies certificate or certified copy thereof. The Town of Glover hereby designates that the Glover Town Clerk shall maintain a list of unlicensed, and licensed and inoculated dogs/wolf-hybrids owned or kept in the Town of Glover.

Out-of-State Dogs/wolf-hybrids. Without obtaining a Vermont license a person may bring into Glover for a period not exceeding 90 days unlicensed dog(s) or wolf-hybrid(s) bearing the identification of the owner, provided that the owner possess a valid rabies certificate for the animal(s) that is current for the 90 days following entry into Glover. Subsequent to the 90 day period the animal(s) must be legally licensed according to VSA T20 Sect. 3581.

Animal Control Officer. The Town of Glover Animal Control Officer will be the First Constable, as elected annually by the voters. The duties of the Animal Control Officer will be to implement the directives of this ordinance and to exercise those duties regarding the licensing and controlling of privately owned dogs and wolf-hybrids within Glover generally, as authorized by VSA T20 Sections 3545-3681 currently and with subsequent amendment. If an animal has been impounded by the Animal Control Officer under the provisions of this ordinance, she will, with 24 hours, notify the owner thereof, either personally, by telephone, or by written notice. Such notice shall inform the owner of the nature of the violation(s), the location of the animal, any relevant charges or fines, and the steps necessary to have the animal released to the possession of the owner. An animal will be kept in the pound for a maximum of 7 days, after which time it may be sold or euthanized in a humane manner. Unlicensed animals whose owner is unknown, which were running at large, and which have been impounded will be kept in the pound for a maximum of 14 days. A description of the impounded animal will be posted in two places in the town. After 14 days the animal control officer may either sell the animal for the amount of accrued impoundment charges, or have the animal humanely destroyed.

Nuisance Animals (provisions). All dogs and wolf-hybrids shall be confined to the limits of the property owned or leased by any dog or wolf-hybrid owner or keeper, or otherwise under
control, and not running at large as defined above. No person having the ownership or control of a dog, or wolf-hybrid in the Town of Glover shall allow that animal to become a nuisance, as defined by this ordinance. Violators of these provisions first will be warned by the Animal Control Officer. A repeat violation will be subject to an assessed penalty of $50 per incident, and a daily charge of$15 for impoundment, if necessary. A dog or wolf-hybrid does not have to be caught or impounded for an owner/keeper to be penalized for a violation of these provisions. After repeated violation of the provisions of this section the Selectmen may, upon written affidavit by the Animal Control Officer, order the destruction of the dog(s) or wolf-hybrid(s), in accordance with VSA 20, Chapter 193, after public hearing in a regular meeting of the Selectboard. The person owning or in control of the animal shall be required to pay the costs incurred to humanely destroy it. Any dog or wolf-hybrid which bites or attacks another animal or human, may be immediately impounded by the Animal Control Officer. If not determined to have rabies protection, the animal may be kept for 14 days, or until it is determined if it has rabies. Rabid animals will be destroyed in a humane manner, and the State of Vermont notified according to state law. Costs associated with the bite/attack incident will be the responsibility of the owner.

Notice. The Town Clerk shall notify the owners or keepers of unlicensed dogs and wolf-hybrids after May 30 that the animals may be impounded for non-payment of license fees after June 1. The unlicensed animals will be kept by the pound keeper for no more than 7 days, after which time they may be euthanized in a humane way by the pound keeper, or sold on a first come, first served basis for payment of the accrued impoundment charges. The expense of capturing and transporting the animal to the pound, maintaining the unlicensed animal(s) in the pound, and the expense of euthanization if necessary, shall be paid by the owner/keeper of the unlicensed animal. The Selectmen of Glover may issue a warrant to the Animal Control Officer directing her to proceed forthwith to impound, and subsequently destroy (as above) any dogs or wolf- hybrids within Glover not licensed according to the provisions of this ordinance. Any fees or expenses generated in exercise of a warrant by the animal control officer in pursuance of her official duties shall be considered delinquent 30 days after billing by the Town Clerk. Such delinquent fees or charges will be assigned to the Warrant of the Collector of Delinquent Taxes of Glover, and collected by him in the manner authorized for collection of delinquent property taxes or sewer rents.