§3923-C. Kennel license

1.  License necessary.  A person having 5 or more dogs for the purposes set forth in section 3907, subsection 17 shall obtain a kennel license from the clerk of the municipality where the dogs are kept and that person is subject to rules adopted by the department. The sex, registered number and description are not required for the dogs covered by a kennel license. The license expires December 31st annually. The kennel license permits the licensee or authorized agent to transport under control and supervision the kennel dogs in or outside the State.

[PL 2003, c. 536, §4 (AMD).]

2.  Determination of fees.

[PL 1995, c. 625, Pt. B, §1 (RP).]

2-A.  License fees.  A kennel owner shall pay a fee of $42 to the municipal clerk for each license to keep dogs. A license is needed only for dogs 6 months of age or older. A kennel owner may not keep more than 10 dogs per license. The clerk shall retain $2 as a recording fee and forward $10 to the municipality's animal welfare account established pursuant to section 3945 and $30 to the Animal Welfare Fund.

[PL 2003, c. 405, §14 (AMD).]

3.  Form of license.  The license must be issued in triplicate, the original copy of which is given to the applicant and the remaining 2 copies retained by the municipal clerk. A license covers a maximum of 10 dogs.

[PL 1997, c. 690, §19 (AMD).]

4.  Kennel tags.  Dogs covered by a kennel license must be furnished suitable kennel tags and stickers that must be attached to the back of the tag indicating the year the license is issued and bearing other information as prescribed by the department and are not required to be individually licensed.

[PL 1997, c. 690, §20 (AMD).]

5.  Kennel inspection and quarantine.  Except for a kennel inspected by the department in accordance with chapter 723, an animal control officer must inspect annually a kennel prior to the municipality issuing a kennel license. In addition to the annual inspection required under this subsection, an animal control officer, at any reasonable time, escorted by the kennel owner or the kennel owner's agent, may inspect the kennel. Inspections must be conducted in accordance with the sanitation and health rules established by the department for compliance with laws and rules. In conducting inspections, an animal control officer must use measures established by the department through rulemaking to prevent the spread of infectious and contagious diseases. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are major substantive rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.

A veterinarian employed by the State or any licensed veterinarian may quarantine the kennel in person or by registered mail and the quarantine must be maintained as long as the veterinarian determines necessary. The decision and order for this quarantine is not considered a licensing or an adjudicatory proceeding as defined by the Maine Administrative Procedure Act.

[PL 2009, c. 403, §2 (AMD).]

6.  Late fees.  A late fee of $25 in addition to the annual fee must be paid by a person who fails to obtain a municipal kennel license by January 31st of each year as required in this section. The late fee must be deposited in the municipality's animal welfare account established pursuant to section 3945.

[PL 2005, c. 422, §7 (NEW).]

SECTION HISTORY

PL 1993, c. 657, §27 (NEW). PL 1995, c. 409, §7 (AMD). PL 1995, c. 490, §§8,9 (AMD). PL 1995, c. 625, §§B1,2 (AMD). PL 1997, c. 690, §§17-21 (AMD). PL 2003, c. 405, §14 (AMD). PL 2003, c. 536, §4 (AMD). PL 2005, c. 422, §7 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 403, §2 (AMD).