Howard County                                   2729

1969 Legislative Session, Legislative Day No. 3
Council Bill No. 7

An Act to repeal Sections 109 through 114, inclusive, of the Code
of Public Local Laws of Howard County (1965 Edition), being Article
14 of the Code of Public Local Laws of Maryland, title "Dogs, custody
or control, seizure, expenses, farmer's dogs, impound, and violation,"
and to enact new Sections 17.500 through 17.506, inclusive, of the
Howard County Code, to provide for licensing and vaccination of
dogs, to provide a procedure for obtaining title to stray dogs, to
provide for the seizure, impoundment, and disposal of any dog run-
ning at large, and to provide further for liability for impounding
fee and enforcement of this sub-title.

Section 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNTY COUNCIL OF
HOWARD COUNTY, MARYLAND, That Sections 109, 110, 111, 112,
113 and 114, of the Code of Public Local Laws of Howard County, (1965
Edition) be and they are hereby repealed.

Section 2. BE IT FURTHER ENACTED BY THE COUNTY COUN-
CIL OF HOWARD COUNTY, MARYLAND, That Sections 17.500, 17.501,
17.502, 17.503, 17.504, 17.505, and 17.506, be and they are hereby added
to Title 17 of the Howard County Code, "Public Protection Services",
sub-title "Dogs", to read as follows:

17.500—Definitions

For the purposes of this sub-title and Title 8 the following words
and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to therein
by this Section.

(a)    Keeping or Harboring. The act or sufferance either of feeding
or sheltering a dog on the premises of the occupant or owner thereof.

(b)    Owner or Own. Any person having a right of property in
a dog and any person who keeps or harbors a dog or has it in his care
or acts as custodian or permits it to remain on or about any premises
occupied or controlled by him.

(c)    Vicious Dog. Any dog that constitutes a physical threat to
human beings, other dogs, cats, livestock, swine or fowl by the virtue
of its specific training or demonstrated behavior EXCEPTING DOGS BE-
LONGING TO A GOVERNMENT AGENCY ACTING IN THE OFFICIAL
PERFORMANCE OF AUTHORIZED DUTY.

(d)    Public Nuisance. Any animal found at large making loud or
objectionable sounds, damaging property, molesting passerby, chasing ve-
hicle or acting in any manner which is deemed to be doing damage
to property or to the public health and well being or which is known
to have bitten two or more persons or shall have been determined by
the animal control officer THE PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICER or any
other authorized representative of the County to be a detriment to public
health, welfare and safety shall be deemed to be a public nuisance.

(e)    At Large. Any domesticated animal will be deemed to be at
large when not on the property of his owner and not under the control
of a responsible person.

17.501—License—Required; Rabies Vaccination

No person shall own or have custody of any dog over three months
of age unless such dog is licensed as herein provided. This provision