680 „. LAWS OF MARYLAND, [CH. 620

officer whenever circumstances make it possible shall seize any
dog reasonably known to be unlicensed, either on or off the
owner's premises, and any such officer shall seize any dog found
at large not wearing the license tag required by this Act.

Every dog so seized shall be properly cared for and fed at
the expense of the County until disposition is made thereof
as hereinafter directed. Provided, however, that said officers
shall not be required to take to a pound or shelter any dog
suffering from serious injury or wounds or from contagious or
infectious diseases, and he is hereby given full authority in his
sole discretion immediately to dispose of such afflicted dogs in
the most humane manner possible under the circumstances.

The owner of any dog seized as above provided may redeem
it from the Warden within 96 hours from the time of its appre-
hension, first, by describing it and in some fair manner, to the
satisfaction of the Warden, proving ownership, and then by
securing a current license and tag and paying a pick-up charge
of Fifty Cents (50c) and the board bill at the rate of Thirty-
five Cents (35c) per day for the time the dog is held at a duly
established public pound or shelter.

If not so redeemed within the time stated or while it is still
being held and not actually sold or otherwise disposed of by
the Warden, it shall be the duty of the said Warden to dispose
of said dog either by sale for not less than the amount of the
board bill to any person wishing to adopt it, or by destruction
in the most humane manner possible. Provided, however, that
the Warden shall not release to an owner a dog that has a
record or is known to be vicious excepting upon receipt of a
permit for so doing signed by the chief police authority in said
owners home community and this permit shall remain on file
with the Warden and provided further that no stray or
unlicensed dog having an infectious or contagious disease or
known to be vicious shall be surrendered for adoption but
shall upon the expiration of 96 hours for redemption be forth-
with destroyed; with the exception that if any such dog is
suspected of having rabies it shall be held for a period of at
least ten days for observation before it is destroyed or other-
wise disposed of.

It shall be the duty of the Warden upon learning of a dog
being suspected of rabies immediately to investigate the case,
confer with the owner, and if in the Warden's judgment or
the judgment of ^any licensed veterinarian called in consulta-
tion there is reasonable ground to believe the dog may have
rabies he shall immediately impound the dog at the owner's
home if satisfactory facilities are available or a public pound
or shelter and keep it completely isolated from all persons and
animals for a period of at least ten days and if at the end of
the period of observation the dog seems fully recovered of its