Year: 1877

CT the commissioners VI the counties OF
this cQwmonw9alth, and they arc
h.rehy required. 10 cause an hccnrhts


- uW WHyya


Assessor Of the several townships and


Loroughs Of the said counties Of this


Commonwealth Of all dogs owned or


possessed by any person or persons


within their respective townships, Dor.


oughs or districts, particularly noting


the number owned or possessed by


each person and kept about any one


house, and when .be said commission.


ers shall have no ascertained the mum.


Der OF dogD aforesaid, they shall levy


and cause TO be collected annually,


from any person or persons owning or
possessing dog or dogs, the sum Of


one dollar for each single dog, and one


dollar for each and every additional


dog owned or kept upon the same


premises, and FIVE dollars for each and


every bitch so owned or possessed or


kept for breeding purposes, to be levied


and collected at the same time and in


the same manner as the country rates


and lcvies are collected, and five per


centum OF the same shall be allowed


as collection fees and IL shall be the


duty Of the county Treasurer TO keep


separate accounts Of the money aris.
ing from the tax on dogs, and the said


money shall be and is hereby appro-


priated as u fund for remunerating the


inhabitants OF the respective counties


of this Commonwealth for any loss


they shall sustain after the passage Of


this act by sheep being destroyed or
injured by dog or dogs.


SEC. q That every dog kept or stay.


ing about any house shall be deemed


sufficient evidence of ownership to au.


thorize the Assessor to return the per


son inhabtng said house as the owner


or possessor of the dog, and every dog


not returned shall be deemed TO have no
owner, and may be lawfully killed by


any person seeing him run at large.


SEC. 3. That when any inhabitant OF
any county of this Commonwealth
shall have any sheep destroyed or in.
jured by dog or dogs, the appraisers


mentioned in this act are hereby au.


thorized and required to view and as


certain the amount OF damages sustain.


ed by the owner Of such sheep destroy


cd or injured as aforesaid, and when


they shall have ascertained the legali-


ty of the claim and the damages so


sustained, they, or any two of them,


shall certify the same under their


hands and seals to the commissioners


of the said county, who shall draw


their warrant on the county Treasurer


for the amount so certified TO be paid


out Of the said fund arising from the


tax on dogs: Provided, That this act


shall not be so construed as TO repeal


any law now in force providing for the


collection Of damages done TO sheep


by dogs from the owner or owners


thereof; And provided further, That


the said appraisement Of damages to


the county commissioners for payment


as aforesaid, in any case in which, in


their opinion, there is sufficient proof


to charge the owner orowners of dogs


who are solvent with the damages


aforesaid under existing laws, until


suit shall have been brought and tried


and Judgment entered against the


plaintiff.


SEC. 4. That when any inbabitant


of the county aforesaid shall have any
sheep destroyed or injured by dog or
! dogs, he may make complaint to one
, OF the Justices of the peace Of his or
her township or borough, who shall
thereupon appoint three appraisers OF
! said damages who shall havefull power
, and authority to examine, as witnesses,
: any person or persons who shall ap-
pear before them respecting the prem
ises upon oath or affirmation, to be
by them administered and it shall be
, the further duty of said appraisers, and
they are hereby required, to ascertain
, whether the owner Of the sheep 80 des-
troyed or injured owrj or possesses or
keeps dog or dogs about his or her
premises, and shall make report Of the
! fact, together with the appraisemcnt
of damages aforesaid, to the commits
: sioners of the said county, and If il
shall appear to the said commissioners
: that the owner aforesaid did not make
. a true return TO the proper assessor Of
= the said dog or dogs, the said owner
! shall not be entitled TO receive any part
D OF said damages.


SEC. 5. That the sum OF fifty cents
! shall be allowed justices Of the peace
. for performing the duties required Of
$ them by this act, and the persons so
Q appointed appraisers shall severally re.
5 ceive for their services the sum Of one
9 dollar per day while engaged in the
r performance Of the duties under this
0 act, which sums shall be added to and
a paid with the damages so appraised
n and the said appraisers, after their ap'
t pointment and before they enter upon
0 the performance of their duties eDjoin-
8 ed by this act, shall severally take and
subscribe, before the said justice Of the


peace, an oath or affirmation, that


they will faithfully and impartially
perform all of their said duties to the
n best of their judgment and ability
s which said certificate shall be immedi
c aiely filed in the Office of the county
r commissioners.


SEC G. That if any person in The
l. said counties of this Commonwealth
@ shall permit any dog or dogs TO be KEEP
I, or remain about his premises which
7. nc has not returned TO the Assessor
n such person shall be liable to pay s
% fine Of five dollars, to be recovered il
7, n suit in the name of the Common
c wealth. before justice Of the peace
!. with costs, as debts Of like amount ar,
b by law recoverable, one-half thereof t
r be paid to the informer and the othel
5, hall TO the county Treasurer, TO b.
d placed by him in the fund Of taxes 70
J. dogs.


e SEC. Z. That any dog seen within
Ie an enclosure where sheep are kept, ex
rs cept when in company with the owne
81 or some member Of bis or her family
d may be lawfully killed


Z. SEc. s. That If at the end of an,
], fiscal year there shall bo and remsil


in the said sheep fund sum of none,


equal in amount to the sum total of tb
G. damages for losses paid by the Treas
70 urer during the year last passed, the
r. the county commissioners shall appoi
ID ton and distribute to the several towr
81 ships and boroughs the said sum o
r. balance in the ratio or proportion :