476 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 255

clothing of any person, the owner or keeper, or if the owner or
keeper be a minor, the parents or guardian of such minor, shall
be liable for such damages, unless such damage shall have been
occasioned to the body or clothing of a person who, at the
time such was sustained, was committing a trespass or other
tort, or was teasing, tormenting or abusing such dog. A per-
son is lawfully upon the private property of such owner within
the meaning of this Act when he is on such property in the
performance of any duty imposed upon him by the laws of the
State of Maryland, Acts relating to Anne Arundel County or
postal regulations of the United States of America, or when
he is on such property upon the invitation, expressed or im-
plied, of the owner thereof.

The owner of any livestock or poultry injured or killed by
any dog may recover as liquidated damages from the owner of
such dog, devoid of proper legal defenses, twice the actual
value of the animals killed or twice the value of damages sus-
tained by reason of said injuries as the case may be. If two
or more dogs kept by two or more owners or keepers injure or
kill any livestock or poultry at the same time, the owners or
keepers of such dogs are jointly and severally liable for such
damage.

256L. DAMAGED PARTY CHOICE OF REMEDIES. The owner of
livestock or poultry which has been maimed or killed by a dog
shall have his election to proceed under Section 256J or under
Section 256K, but having signified his election by starting pro-
ceedings in either mode, he shall not have the other remedy.

256M. PREDATORY DOGS AND DOGS UNDER SUSPICION. The
Board of County Commissioners and any justice of the peace
of the County shall have the power to order the Warden of
any district or other county police officer to kill any dog
known to be a confirmed poultry killer, and any dog killing
fowl on three different occasions shall be considered a con-
firmed poultry killer.

Any Warden or other person who has reason to believe that
any dog has been worrying, wounding or killing livestock but
which has not been found in the act, may apply to a justice
of the peace of the district in which such dog may be, who
shall issue a warrant requiring the owner or custodian, if
known, to appear before him at a time and place named there-
in, at which time evidence shall be heard, and if it shall appear
that such dog is a livestock or poultry killer, or has committed
any of the depredations mentioned in this section, the dog
shall be ordered surrendered to such Warden or other officer
designated by the justice of the peace to be destroyed in the
most humane manner possible.