Massachusetts Statutes

§ 85A — Injuring, taking away or harboring domesticated animals or birds; removal of dog license tag, collar or harness; imitation tag

Massachusetts § 85A
JurisdictionMassachusetts
Part IVCRIMES, PUNISHMENTS AND PROCEEDINGS IN CRIMINAL CASES
Title ICRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS
Ch. 272CRIMES AGAINST CHASTITY, MORALITY, DECENCY AND GOOD ORDER

This text of Massachusetts § 85A (Injuring, taking away or harboring domesticated animals or birds; removal of dog license tag, collar or harness; imitation tag) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 272, § 85A (2026).

Text

Section 85A. Whoever with wrongful intent kills, maims, entices or carries away a dog or other domesticated animal or bird shall be liable in tort to its owner for three times its value. Any person who removes from the dog of another its license tag, collar or harness, or who, without the authorization of the owner or keeper, holds or harbors a dog or other domesticated animal of another, or who holds or harbors a lost or strayed dog or other domesticated animal for more than forty-eight hours after such animal comes into his possession without reporting or taking it to the police station or dog officer nearest to the place where it was found and informing the police officer or dog officer in charge where such dog or other animal was found, the name, color, age, size and pedigree, as fully

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Bluebook (online)
Massachusetts § 85A, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/statute/ma/272/85A.