Maine § 7 §3913 Procedure for stray dogs

Maine Statutes

§ 7 §3913 — Procedure for stray dogs

Maine § 7 §3913

Title 7AGRICULTURE AND ANIMALS

Part 9ANIMAL WELFARE

Ch. 719UNCONTROLLED DOGS

This text of Maine § 7 §3913 (Procedure for stray dogs) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Maine primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 7, § 7 §3913 (2026).

Text

1.Persons finding stray dogs. A person finding a stray dog and taking control of that dog shall take that dog to its owner if known or, if the owner is not known, to the animal shelter designated by the municipality in which the dog was found.

2.Dog shelters. 2-A. Animal shelter. An animal shelter, as defined in section 3907, to which a stray dog is taken shall accept the dog for a period of 6 days unless the shelter is in quarantine or has a bona fide lack of adequate space. Except as provided in subsection 2‑B, the acceptance entitles the animal shelter to receive from the department the sum of $4 a day for the period for which food and shelter are furnished to the dog. An animal shelter may refuse to accept dogs from municipalities not contracting with that animal shelter. 2-B. Adopti

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1.
Persons finding stray dogs.
A person finding a stray dog and taking control of that dog shall take that dog to its owner if known or, if the owner is not known, to the animal shelter designated by the municipality in which the dog was found.
2.
Dog shelters.
2-A.
Animal shelter.
An animal shelter, as defined in section 3907, to which a stray dog is taken shall accept the dog for a period of 6 days unless the shelter is in quarantine or has a bona fide lack of adequate space. Except as provided in subsection 2‑B, the acceptance entitles the animal shelter to receive from the department the sum of $4 a day for the period for which food and shelter are furnished to the dog. An animal shelter may refuse to accept dogs from municipalities not contracting with that animal shelter.
2-B.
Adoption policy.
Beginning January 1, 2010, to be eligible for reimbursement under subsection 2‑A, an animal shelter must have an adoption policy. An adoption policy must provide for a dog to be available for adoption for a minimum of 24 hours except as provided in subsection 6.
3.
Claims; fees.
The procedure for filing claims and calculating fees is as follows.
4.
Ownership of dog.
Upon expiration of the 6-day period, ownership of the dog is vested in the animal shelter. The animal shelter may then:
5.
Euthanasia for sick or injured dogs.
6.
Euthanasia for severely sick, severely injured or extremely vicious dog.
A humane agent, an animal control officer or an animal shelter within the State may authorize in writing immediate euthanasia of a severely sick, severely injured or extremely vicious dog upon determining that the following conditions are met:
7.
Immunity from civil liability.
A veterinarian, a humane agent, an animal control officer or an animal shelter is not civilly liable to any party for authorization made in accordance with subsection 6 nor is any person performing euthanasia under that authorization.
8.
Regulation and inspection.
9.
Violation.

Legislative History

PL 1987, c. 383, §3 (NEW). PL 1991, c. 622, §§FF12-14 (AMD). PL 1991, c. 779, §§19-23 (AMD). PL 1991, c. 779, §52 (AFF). PL 1993, c. 468, §§6,7 (AMD). PL 1993, c. 657, §§14-17 (AMD). PL 1995, c. 268, §1 (AMD). PL 1997, c. 690, §11 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 439, §6 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 343, §§9, 10 (AMD).