HERBERT R. O'CONOR, GOVERNOR. 609'

injured by dogs, he shall, within twenty-four hours after the
discovery of such destruction or injury, notify the Chief of
Police of Montgomery County and acquaint him with the
damage done and the location of the carcasses of the fowls
or animals so destroyed or injured. Within twenty-four hours
after receiving such notice, the Chief of Police of Montgomery
County shall cause an inspection to be made by a member of
the Montgomery County Police Force of said fowls or animals
so reported to be injured or destroyed, who shall report his
findings in writing to the Board of County Commissioners,
within forty-eight hours thereafter. The owner of any fowls
or animals so destroyed or injured by dogs shall then file his
claim with the Board of County Commissioners, setting forth
therein the number and kind of fowls or animals so destroyed
or injured, the date thereof and the amount claimed as dam-
ages. Said claim shall have appended thereto the affidavit of
the owner that he believes said fowls or animals to have been:
destroyed or injured by dogs, and if the owner of the dogs
is unknown to the claimant, that such is the fact, and, if
the owner of the dogs is known to the claimant, that the
claimant is unable to collect the amount of damages sustained
through the medium of a suit against the owner of said dogs.
When the report of the officer investigating the loss or de-
struction and the claim is filed in the office of the County
Commissioners, the said Commissioners shall review said!
report and claim and if, in their judgment, they find that the
claimant is entitled to compensation, they shall award an
amount which in their judgment is the fair value of said fowls
or animals so injured or destroyed and the amount so awarded
shall be paid to the claimant out of the proceeds of the col-
lection of taxes on dogs. This section shall not apply to resi-
dents of Montgomery County living in municipalities, incor-
porated towns or special taxing areas which collect their own
dog taxes, and no damages or compensation shall be paid by
the Board of County Commissioners to any claimants in such
municipalities, incorporated towns or special taxing areas for
injuries or destruction to their domestic fowls or animals
caused by dogs.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act is hereby
declared to be an emergency law and necessary for the imme-
diate preservation of the public health and safety, and being
passed by a yea and nay vote, supported by three-fifths of all
the members elected to each of the two Houses of the General
Assembly the same shall take effect from the date of its
passage.

Approved May 6, 1941.

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