The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-12-31
I he Dog Law
For The State OF West
Virginia

ho1SooSi " VAC SiSi n VI NaS SohhSr
court OF his county, on or before the
time fixed fol. levying the county levy
In each year; the assessor shall re-
ceive as compensation the sum Of ten
cents for each dog SO listed.
That It shall be lawful, II he SO
choose, for the owner Of any dog &c
have the same listed by the county
assessor Of any county in this State.
the same as all other personal prop
erty is listed and taxed; and when the
owner Of any such dog shall have paid
the taxes assessed against the same.
such dog shall be deemed property In
the meaning of the law.
Any person who shall willfully, uu.
lawfully or maliciously steal. poison.
wound or kill any such dog. or dogs.
shall upon conviction be punished as
provided by law for stealing, poison.
ing, wounding or killing other prop.
erty; and the owner OF any such dog
or dogs. SO stolen, wounded, poison.
ed, or killed. after complying with the
provisions of this act, may have a
right of action in damages against any
such person or persons guilty OF tn.
violation OF the provisions OF this act
for the sum not exceeding the assessed
value OF such dog or dogs.
But nothing in this act shall pre-.
vent the killing of any vicious or dan.
gerous dog of the premises and out OF
the control OF the owner nor the kill.
Ing Of any dog running at large and
out OF the control Of the owner there.
Of, after such owner shall have had
notice and still permits such dog to
run at large and out OF his control
and no person shall be liable In dam.
ages or to prosecution by reason OF
any such killing.
Sec. 9a12. The county court shal.
annually levy a per capita tax on ev.
cry male dog four weeks old and over.
Or every female dog four weeks oil
and under eight months old, Of one
dollar. and on every unspayed femals
dog over eight months old, three dol.
lars. ANY court may discriminate I'D
to each owner of more than one dog
by Increasing the amount OF tax ON
each additional dog. and the tax So
levied shall be paid by the person re-
sDectively, in whose name the dogs
shall be listed.
Sec. Sa-3. The per capita tax I'M.
posed upon the dogs OF any county,
shall be collected and accounted for
by the sheriff of such county, as coun.
ty levies are collected and accounted
for. and to that end It shall be the
duty OF the court. in convenient time,
to cause a list to be delivered to such
sheriff. containing the names Of all
persons charged with a per capita tax
on dogs, and the amount assessed
against each; for collecting, account
Ing for and paying out the per capita
dog tax. the sheriff shall be allowed
the like commission as allowed for
collecting and accounting for the coun,
ty levies; provided, however, that fol
so much thereof as he receives from
the ccnstables upon the list provided
for by the next section, he shall for
accounting for and paying out the
same be allowed one.half commission
The sheriff shall have charge of ali
The moneys accrulng from the pei
capitn tax upon dogs, or for fines i'm
roscd under this act, collected with
In his county and the same shall con
stitute n fund for remunerating tn.
Inhabitants thereof for any loss the,
may sustain by injury to their sheen
lambs. goats or kids by dogs within
their county; whenever the surplus
arising from any such fund Mt the en-
Of any fiscal year shall exceed one
half OF THE amount expended there
from, Tor the preceding year, the coun
ty court Of any county shall apply
such excess to the general road fund
OF such county.
Sec. 9ai. The court shall cause \
list OF all persons failing TO nav IN,
per capita dog tax assessed against
them. and by the sheriff returned de
linquent fer non-payment of per CAM
ia dog tax. to be delivered to the cor,
stable of the districts in which they
reside with the number of dogs liste,
to each, and amount of per capita ia,
assessed severally against each; AM
1t snail be the duty Of such constable
upon receiving such list forthwith If
search out. kill and bury every dog Il
respect to the per capita tax on which
the owners shall be delinquent (wher,
there are more than one constable in
the district the court shall designate
4 which Gho m not .,,1