The Manchester-by-the-Sea Police Department incorporated the Animal Control functions for the Town within its organizational structure during 1990.

    Acting in a non sworn, part time capacity, the Animal Control Officer is subject to call '24/7', receiving calls and reports thru the police dispatch center.

    The Animal Control Officer's primary responsibility is enforcing our local Animal Control Act-

• Patrol of beaches, parks, recreational areas and cemeteries

• Monitoring the 'dog waste stations'

• Enforcing canine licensing requirements

• Dealing with nuisance animals

• Providing advise to the citizenry on wild animals

• Responding to dangerous animal calls

• Dealing with diseased animals, dog bites, animal inspections and quarantines

• Interacting with our local Board of Health and the State Department of Public Health

• Interacting with area animal control units and the State Department of Environmental Police

      The Animal Control Officer attempts to assistant residents with a variety of animal issues including the presence of nuisance animals in and around the home. However, his responsibility to deal with many of these issues, especially rodent and other animals within a home, are limited and are often referred to a private entity.

 

    Reference is made to the Manchester-by-the-Sea General By-Laws, Article 10, Section 28, Animal Control

 Control of Animals 

    Dogs are prohibited from Public school property; town playgrounds and parks, town cemeteries or the Town Hall; and Public Library grounds.

    Dogs are prohibited from town beaches from May 1st through October 1st of each year. 

    No person owning, harboring, or having custody and/or control of a domesticated animal shall allow such animal to become a public nuisance, make excessive noise, molesting people, chasing vehicles, attacking people or other animals. 

    A permit from the Board of Health is required for any household who wishes to maintain more than a total of four animals over the age of 3 months.  

    A small kennel license available through the Town Clerk’s office is required for anyone who wishes to maintain more than 4 dogs over three months of age.

     No dogs are permitted to run at large.  A dog shall be deemed running at large when it is both off the premises of the owner or such person in custody or control of, and is not on a leash or under direct voice command of a person able to control the dog.

     No person shall dispose of any feces left by their dog on any beach, sidewalk, or street, in any park or other public place or on any private property neither owned nor occupied by said person.  Disposal shall be accomplished by transporting feces to the property of the owner of the dog or to an appropriate waste receptacle.  Disposal in town storm drains is prohibited.  This shall not apply to guide dogs accompanying any handicapped person.  

    Massachusetts law guarantees a blind person the legal right to be accompanied by a dog guide in all public accommodations and on all public conveyances.  No extra charge can be levied because of the dog’s presence. 

    Public accommodations include hotels, restaurants, stores, places of amusement, and all places to which the public is invited. 

    Public conveyances include trains, airplanes, buses, taxis, and all common carriers.

    A blind person is guaranteed the right under Massachusetts law to be accompanied by a dog guide in an educational institution.

     Any person violating any provision of the Manchester-by-the-Sea General by-laws shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine in accordance with the following schedule:  First offense; $10; second offense: $25.00; Third and subsequent offenses: $50. 

     If a dog is picked up for being unlicensed or in violation of any section of these by-laws, the owner must pay, in addition to appropriate fines, a pick-up fee of $10, and where applicable a boarding fee.