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<section article="glg" article_name="Local Government" number="13-118" title_number="13" title_name="Other Powers of Counties -- Regulatory" subtitle_number="1" subtitle_name="Regulation of Animals">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The governing body of Cecil County, by ordinance or resolution, may provide for a comprehensive system for the regulation of domestic animals and wild animals kept in captivity.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The resolution or ordinance may provide for:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>the licensing and control of domestic animals and wild animals kept in captivity;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>the establishment of separate domestic animal control districts with separate resolutions or ordinances applicable within each district;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>seizing and disposing of domestic animals found to be dangerous to persons or property;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>the regulation of persons who own or keep any vicious animal or an animal that disturbs the peace of a neighborhood; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>reasonable penalties for a violation of a local law enacted in accordance with this section not exceeding imprisonment for 30 days or a fine not exceeding $500 or both.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The governing body:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>may regulate animals that are hybrids of domestic animals and wild animals; but</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>may not regulate or control wild animals that are not owned or kept by individuals.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>The governing body of Cecil County shall set the fees, terms, and forms for dog and kennel licenses.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>In Cecil County, the county tax collector shall issue a tag with each dog license to a person owning or keeping a dog when the person pays the license fee for the dog.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The governing body of Cecil County shall prepare and supply tags to the county tax collector each year.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The tags shall be:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>composed of metal;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>imprinted with a serial number corresponding to the number on the license issued to the owner;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>imprinted with the calendar year for which the tag is issued;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>1 inch or less in length; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>equipped with a substantial metal fastener.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>The governing body shall change the general shape of the tags each year.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>Tags supplied to owners of kennels shall contain the word “kennel”.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>The county tax collector shall replace a lost tag on:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>application by the person to whom the original license was issued;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>the production of the license; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>payment of a fee of 25 cents.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>In Cecil County, the owner or custodian of a female dog that is in heat:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>may not knowingly allow the dog to run at large; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>shall confine the dog.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>A person who violates this subsection is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to a fine not exceeding $25.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <text>In Cecil County, a person may not own or keep a domestic animal that disturbs the peace of a neighborhood or is vicious and bites any individual.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The barking of hunting dogs in pursuit of game is not a disturbance of the peace for the purpose of this subsection.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>A person who violates paragraph (1) of this subsection or a court order issued under paragraph (4) of this subsection is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to a fine not exceeding $500 for each offense.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <level label="i">
        <text>The District Court in Cecil County shall issue a summons to the owner or keeper of a domestic animal to appear before the District Court if a sworn complaint is received from a person alleging that the domestic animal:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>disturbs the peace of a neighborhood in the county; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>is vicious and has bitten an individual.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>After a finding that the domestic animal disturbs the peace of a neighborhood or is vicious and has bitten an individual, the District Court may require the owner or keeper to surrender the domestic animal to be euthanized in the most humane manner possible or remove the domestic animal permanently from the neighborhood.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>If the District Court requires the owner or keeper to surrender the domestic animal to be euthanized or removed in accordance with subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, and the owner or keeper fails to comply, a police officer or an agent of the county shall seize the domestic animal and cause it to be euthanized in the most humane manner possible.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>The District Court may order the domestic animal restrained or issue any other appropriate order.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
