HARRY HUGHES, Governor

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(e) In Calvert County all funds derived from the
issuance of licenses and all funds received in the form of
fees from the seizure and impounding of dogs shall be
remitted to the county treasurer not less than once each
month and shall be a part of the general funds of the
county.

(F) IN BALTIMORE COUNTY, ALL MONEYS COLLECTED MAY BE
DEPOSITED IN THE GENERAL FUNDS OF BALTIMORE COUNTY AND ALL
CLAIMS PAID MAY BE FROM GENERAL FUNDS OF THE COUNTY.

198.

(a) If any inhabitant of a county has any sheep,
poultry, or livestock destroyed or injured by a dog or dogs,
he may apply to the sheriff OR THE DESIGNATED OFFICIAL of
the county, who shall appoint three disinterested persons as
appraisers to view and appraise the damages by him
sustained. At least one of the appraisers shall be a deputy
sheriff of the county, and they, under oath, shall state in
writing to the county commissioners of the county, the
number of sheep, poultry, or livestock killed, the character
and extent of the injury, if any done, and the amount of the
damages, upon which they shall all agree, sustained by the
owner. The appraisers and the owner of the sheep, poultry or
livestock shall make oath that they believe the sheep,
poultry or livestock to have been destroyed or injured by a
dog or dogs. (b) When the report of the proceedings has been
filed, the county commissioners of the county shall review
the report, and if in their judgment the amount of damages
stated is unfair, they shall award an amount as they may
deem fair. If the owner of the dog or dogs cannot be
determined, the award shall be paid out of the dog license
fund ACCORDING TO THE PROCEDURES SET OUT IN § 197 OF THIS
ARTICLE. The sworn report of the appraisers shall be deemed
prima facie evidence of the fairness of the award of damages
in each instance. The county commissioners shall not change
an award unless they have personal knowledge of its
unfairness, or shall receive competent testimony to the
effect that the award is in excess of a fair commercial
valuation of the sheep, poultry or livestock injured or
destroyed by dogs. (c) If the owner of the dog or dogs doing
the damage be known, it is the duty of the county
commissioners to notify the owner or owners to kill the dog
or dogs immediately. If the owner or owners refuse or
neglect to kill the dog or dogs upon notice as aforesaid,
the owner or owners shall be liable for the damages to the
same extent as he would be liable in case of negligence or
malicious destruction of property. The county commissioners
may in their discretion have special officers kill the dog
or dogs. (d) In Howard and Montgomery counties, the county
council shall prescribe by law the manner in which the
powers, duties and responsibilities placed within its
jurisdiction and control by this section shall be exercised.