A. 
The license period is April 1 to March 31 in any year. Any person residing in the City of Fitchburg who becomes the owner or keeper of a dog six months old or over shall, within 30 days of becoming the owner or keeper, obtain a license for the dog from the City Clerk. The City Clerk shall issue dog licenses and license tags in a form prescribed and furnished by the City. The owner or keeper must renew the license and tag each year by filing an application for renewal on or before March 31 in any year.
B. 
On the license form, the City Clerk shall record the name, address, phone number and the date of birth of the owner or keeper of the dog, and the name, license number and description of each dog. Each license tag shall include the license number, the name of the City and the year of issue.
C. 
The owner or keeper must put the license tag on each dog around its neck or body on a collar or harness to which he or she shall securely attach the license tags. If a tag is lost, defaced or destroyed, the owner or keeper must get a new substitute tag from the City Clerk at a fee established by the Clerk. This money shall be deposited in the City's General Fund.
[Amended 6-3-2014 by Ord. No. 100-2014]
D. 
The City Clerk shall not issue a license for any dog unless the owner or keeper provides the City Clerk with a veterinarian's certificate certifying that the dog is currently vaccinated against rabies. The Clerk may waive this requirement only if the applicant presents a signed statement from a veterinarian licensed in Massachusetts that because of the dog's medical condition or treatment, inoculation for rabies is medically contraindicated in his or her professional judgment.
[Amended 6-3-2014 by Ord. No. 100-2014]
E. 
The City Clerk will set the fee for each dog license, which may vary depending on whether the dog is spayed or neutered. The Clerk will make this determination based only on a document from a Massachusetts licensed veterinarian certifying that the dog has been spayed or neutered. The Clerk may accept a written veterinarian's statement certifying that because of age, infirmity or other physical condition, spaying or neutering is medically not necessary. The Clerk will not charge a fee for any dog used as a service animal specially trained to serve a handicapped person upon presentation of a certificate showing that the dog is so trained and reasonable evidence that the dog is actually used as a service animal.
F. 
Any owner or keeper of a dog who moves into the City with the dog must obtain a dog license from the City of Fitchburg. If, at the time the person applies to the Clerk, the dog is validly licensed by the authorities of another municipality, the Clerk will issue a license in Fitchburg for the remainder of the license year for a reduced fee of $2 but only if the applicant produces evidence, satisfactory to the Clerk, that the dog had a license from the local government of its former residence. Otherwise, the regular license fee requirements and fees apply.
G. 
The Clerk cannot, during any license year, refund any fees or portions thereof because of the death or loss of the animal or because the owner had the animal spayed, neutered, or removed from the City.
A. 
The owner or keeper of a dog or cat six months of age or older kept, housed, brought into or sheltered in the City, must have the animal vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian using a licensed vaccine approved by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The owner or keeper must have the dog vaccinated within 30 days after the animal is acquired or arrives in the City or upon reaching the age of six months, whichever last occurs. The owner or keeper must get a veterinarian's certification demonstrating that it was vaccinated as required and stating the date of the vaccination and the duration of immunity.
B. 
The veterinarian shall issue a tag with each certificate of vaccination. The owner or keeper must secure the tag on a collar or harness made of suitable material to be worn by the dog or cat; provided, however, that the owner of a cat may choose not to put a tag on his or her cat but then must have the tag available for inspection on demand by the Animal Control Officer, police officer or another authorized official of the City.
[Amended 6-3-2014 by Ord. No. 100-2014]
C. 
The owner or keeper must revaccinate the animal periodically in accordance with the law and requirements of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
No household shall keep four or more dogs, over the age of six months, at any place within the City without having gotten a kennel license issued by the City Clerk. Households which exceed this limit on the effective date of this chapter, may keep animals in excess of these limits for a period of one year from the effective date of this chapter. Nothing in this section, or in this chapter, diminishes the authority of the Board of Health or its employees to order a reduction in number or complete removal of any animals if, in the their opinion, the owners, keepers or household are keeping animals in an unsanitary condition or in violation of this chapter, the maintenance or keeping of the animals creates or may create a nuisance, or threatens or injures the health, safety or well-being of the members of the household, members of the public or public officials acting in the course of their official conduct.
A. 
An owner or keeper of four to nine dogs, six months of age or older, at a residential premises, must obtain a residential kennel license. An owner or keeper of 10 or more dogs, six months of age or older, or the owner/keeper of a place for the boarding or training of dogs, must obtain a Commercial Kennel License. The Clerk shall not issue any kennel license unless the owner or keeper provides the Clerk with a veterinarian's certificate certifying that each dog in the kennel is currently vaccinated against rabies as required by law. The Clerk may waive this requirement only if the applicant presents a signed statement from a veterinarian licensed in Massachusetts that, because of a particular dog's medical condition or treatment, inoculation for rabies is medically contraindicated and that, in his or her professional judgment, the dog presents no threat of harm or sickness to the other dogs at the kennel.
[Amended 6-3-2014 by Ord. No. 100-2014]
B. 
The Clerk shall not issue any kennel license unless the applicant provides adequate shelter for the animals as determined by the Animal Control Officer's written inspection report and approval to ensure that basic standards of cleanliness and proper care and confinement exist on the premises. The Clerk, in his or her discretion, may also ask for reports from and rely on the findings of other City officials such as the Building Commissioner or the Board of Health in making the determination whether to issue a kennel license. The applicant must keep at the kennel and available for inspection by the Animal Control Officer or a police officer the names and addresses of the owner of each dog kept in any kennel, if other than the person maintaining the kennel, and a veterinarian's certificate verifying that each dog is currently vaccinated against rabies as required by law. These records must accompany any application for any kennel license.
[Amended 6-3-2014 by Ord. No. 100-2014]
C. 
The licenses shall be in a form prescribed by the Clerk. While a dog is maintained or kept at a kennel, it does not require any license other than a kennel license. The holder of a kennel license must have each dog kept at the kennel wear a collar or harness of suitable material with a securely attached license tag upon which shall appear the number of such kennel license, the year of issue, and the inscription "Fitchburg."
D. 
The residential and commercial kennel license fee shall be set by the Clerk. The Clerk shall not charge a fee for a commercial kennel license to any charitable corporation incorporated exclusively for the purpose of protecting animals from cruelty, neglect or abuse, and for the relief of suffering among animals. The license period for a kennel license shall be from April 1 to March 31, inclusive.
E. 
The Animal Control Officer, Animal Health Inspector, or a police officer may at any time during the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. inspect any kennel or premises for which a residential or commercial kennel license has been issued.
F. 
If the Animal Control Officer, Animal Health Inspector, or a police officer, an employee of the Board of Health or five Fitchburg residents determine that the kennel is not kept in a sanitary or humane condition, does not provide adequate shelter or if records are not kept as required by law, any one of them may ask the Clerk to terminate or suspend a kennel license. The Clerk may terminate or suspend a kennel license if the Clerk finds that: the licensee's conduct relating to the kennel falls below reasonable standards of care for animals because of conduct of the owner or the manner in which dogs are kept; conditions at or affecting the kennel violate the standards of this chapter or other applicable law; the animals are disturbed or disturbing because of excessive barking or disturbing animal sounds or vicious disposition of one or more animals or other behaviors of the animals; conditions on or at the premises constitute a public nuisance. If a license has been revoked or suspended for noncompliance with provisions of this chapter which do not directly threaten injury to the public health or safety or the well-being of the animals, the license may be reinstated after inspection. Any party aggrieved by the Clerk's decision may appeal to the City Council in accordance with the procedures in § 84-10G of this chapter.
G. 
A party described in Subsection H, aggrieved by the determination of the Clerk, may appeal to the City Council by filing a petition with the Clerk. The Council will conduct a hearing to determine whether the Clerk's decision is correct and whether it will be affirmed, reversed or affirmed in part and reversed in part and whether the license will be revoked or suspended or otherwise conditioned. Within seven days after the filing of such a petition, the Clerk will give notice of a public Council hearing to be held within 14 days after the date of such notice. The Clerk will mail the notice to the owner of record of the premises, the owner or keeper of the kennel, the licensee, the petitioner(s), abutters, as determined from records of the Assessors' office, and any other interested person. The Clerk will also post notice of the hearing on a City bulletin board. The aggrieved party, unless the party is a City employee, shall bear the costs of the appeal and pay a fee for the costs in the amount of $25 to the Clerk as a condition of filing the appeal.
H. 
Within seven days after such public hearing, said Councillors shall make an order either revoking or suspending such kennel license, or otherwise regulating the kennel or premises, or dismissing said petition.
I. 
The holder of such license or other aggrieved person may petition the appropriate court for review in accordance with applicable law.
J. 
A person who keeps or maintains a residential or commercial kennel after the license has been revoked or suspended by decision of the Council, shall be punished by a fine of $100 for each day in violation of said revocation or suspension. In addition to any other legal remedies that may be available, the Animal Control Officer, or other designated enforcing person, may enforce these penalties through the City's noncriminal disposition procedure established by MGL c. 40, § 21D. This chapter is enacted for the protection of the public health and safety. Any violation of the provisions of part of this chapter shall be deemed to constitute a public nuisance.