An Act Requiring Dog Owners To Obtain Dog License Vouchers at the Time of Obtaining Rabies and Other Immunizations Reference·to the Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry suggested and ordered printed.
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 0538
Committee: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
Sponsors: ANDREWS
Amends: 7 MRSA §3922, 7 MRSA §3923-A

Legislative Document 
No. 538 
S.P. 164 
In Senate, February 1,2005 
An Act Requiring Dog Owners To Obtain Dog License Vouchers at 
the Time of Obtaining Rabies and Other Immunizations 
Reference·to the Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry suggested and 
ordered printed. 
Presented by Senator ANDREWS of York. 
Printed on recycled paper 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 7 MRSA §3922, sub-§3, as amended by PL 1997, c. 704, 
§7 and PL 2003, c. 689, Pt. B, §7, is further amended to read: 
3. 
Proof of immunization. 
Except as provided in subsection 
3-11., 
a municipal clerk may not issue a license for a dog until 
the applicant has filed with the clerk proof that the dog has 
been immunized against rabies in accordance with rules adopted by 
the Commissioner of Health and Human Services, except that the 
requirement of immunization may be waived by the clerk under 
conditions set forth by the Commissioner of Health and Human 
Services. 
A dog owner shall pay the license fee specified in section 3923-11. 
to 
the 
veterinarian 
who 
immunizes 
the 
owner's 
dog 
against 
rabies. 
Unless the veterinarian serves as a dog licensing agent 
pursuant to section 3923-F, 
the veterinarian shall issue 
tn~ 
owner a voucher stating that the dog owner paid the license fee 
that the dog owner shall present to the appropriate municipal 
clerk or unorganized territory dog recorder to obtain a 
dog 
license. 
The veterinarian shall remit the fee to the appropriate 
municipal clerk or unorganized territory dog recorder. 
The commissioner shall adopt rules that allow the clerk and the 
commissioner to accept valid proof of immunization against rabies 
provided by another state. 
Sec. 2. 7 MRSA §3923-A. sub-§§1 and 2, as amended by PL 2003, 
c. 405, §13, are further amended to read: 
1. 
Dogs capable of producing young. 
A dog owner or keeper 
shall 
pay 
a 
fee 
of 
$10 
to 
the 
municipal 
clerk 
or 
to 
a 
veterinarian for each dog 6 months of age or older and capable of 
producing young. 
A dog is considered 
capable of producing young 
unless certification under subsection 2 is provided. 
The municipal clerk shall retain a $1 recording fee and pay the 
remaining 
$9 to the department for deposit in the Animal Welfare 
Fund. 
2. 
Dogs incapable of producing young. 
A dog owner shall 
pay a 
fee of $6 to the municipal clerk eF L 
to a veterinary 
licensing agent or to a veterinarian for each dog 6 months of age 
or older and incapable of producing young. 
A dog is considered 
incapable 
of 
producing 
young 
when 
the 
owner 
provides 
the 
following: 
Page l-LR16l0(1) 
A. 
A written certificate issued by a veterinarian stating 
that the veterinarian has neutered the dog; 
B. 
A written certificate issued by a veterinarian stating 
that the veter inar ian has examined the dog and determined 
that the dog is incapable of producing young; or 
C. 
A previous license stating that the dog is incapable of 
producing young. 
The municipal clerk shall retain a $1 recording fee, deposit $2 
in 
the municipality's 
animal 
welfare 
account 
established in 
accordance with section 3945 and pay the remaining 
$3 to the 
department for deposit in the Animal Welfare Fund. 
SUMMARY 
This bill requires a dog owner to pay the dog license fee to 
the veterinarian who 
immunizes the owner's dog against rabies. 
The veterinarian shall issue the owner a voucher that the dog 
owner 
shall 
present 
to 
the 
appropriate 
municipal 
clerk 
or 
unorganized territory dog recorder to obtain a dog license. 
The 
veterinarian shall remit the fee to the appropriate municipal 
clerk or unorganized territory dog recorder.