10/19/2009 Annual Town Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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The owner or keeper shall have posted at each possible entrance to the owner's or keeper's property where the pit bull is kept a conspicuous and clearly legible sign. Such sign must be at least eight and one-half(8 1/2) inches by eleven (11) inches in rectangular dimensions and shall contain only the words "WARNING — PIT BULL DOG" in lettering which is not less than two inches in height and which is in sharp contract with the background of the sign. Section 5. Impoundment Any pit bull found by the Animal Control Officer or any member of the Town Police Department to be on the loose, at-large, or unconfined, or which has been observed by the Animal Control Officer or any member of the Police Department to have mauled, bitten, attacked, threatened, or in any way menaced another animal or human shall be presumed to be in violation of this by-law and shall be subject to immediate impoundment; The Animal Control Officer is authorized to immediately impound any Pit Bull which is in violation of this by-law and which does not fall within the exceptions listed therein. The Animal Control Officer is authorized to house and/or dispose of any impounded Pit Bull at his/her sole professional discretion. Section 6. Impoundment Procedure and Enforcement The Animal Control Officer is empowered to make whatever inquiry or investigation is deemed necessary to ensure compliance with the provisions of this by-law. The Animal Control Officer is empowered to seize and impound any pit bull found to be in violation of this by-law or any pit bull for which the owner or keeper has failed to comply with the provisions of this Section The Animal Control Officer shall not release a pit bull from impoundment unless the owner or keeper (i) provides -proof of registration and license satisfactory to the Animal Control Officer, (ii) provides adequate proof that any violations of this by-law have been corrected in a manner satisfactory to the Animal Control Officer, (iii) remits payment to the Animal Control Officer of all fines issued pursuant to violations under this by-law; and (iv) remits payment to the Animal Control Officer for the costs associated with the impounding of the pit bull and the term of impoundment of the pit bull; The Animal Control Officer and the Town Police Department shall each have the authority and shall cooperate with each other to the greatest extent possible to enforce the provisions of this by-law. The Town Police Department shall notify the Animal Control Officer of any location or address at which a pit bull is observed; (a) A pit bull found in violation of this by-law shall be subject to immediate impoundment; (b) Any violation of this Section shall be subject to a fine of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) for the first offense, and a fine of one hundred dollars ($100) for each additional offense. In addition., upon, any violation of this Section the owner's or keeper's pit bull shall, be subject to impoundment. Each day a violation exists shall be considered a separate and distinct violation. Section 7. Appeal Procedure (a) The owner or keeper of a dog that has been impounded pursuant to this by-law or that has 17