Maine § 7 §3948 Animal control

Maine Statutes

§ 7 §3948 — Animal control

Maine § 7 §3948

Title 7AGRICULTURE AND ANIMALS

Part 9ANIMAL WELFARE

Ch. 725MUNICIPAL DUTIES

This text of Maine § 7 §3948 (Animal control) 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 §3948 (2026).

Text

1.Control. Municipalities shall control dogs running at large.

2.Medical attention. Law enforcement officers and animal control officers shall take a stray animal to its owner, if known, or, if the owner is unknown, shall ensure that any injured companion animal that is at large or in a public way is given proper medical attention.

3.Domesticated and undomesticated animals. A municipality shall control domesticated animals that are a cause of complaint in the community. A municipality shall control animals that pose a threat to public health or safety. A municipality may control undomesticated animals in matters on which no other department is charged by law to regulate.

4.Reporting. By January 31st of each year, a municipality shall report to the animal welfare program of the departme

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1.
Control.
Municipalities shall control dogs running at large.
2.
Medical attention.
Law enforcement officers and animal control officers shall take a stray animal to its owner, if known, or, if the owner is unknown, shall ensure that any injured companion animal that is at large or in a public way is given proper medical attention.
3.
Domesticated and undomesticated animals.
A municipality shall control domesticated animals that are a cause of complaint in the community. A municipality shall control animals that pose a threat to public health or safety. A municipality may control undomesticated animals in matters on which no other department is charged by law to regulate.
4.
Reporting.
By January 31st of each year, a municipality shall report to the animal welfare program of the department all complaints related to animal control incidents for the prior calendar year. The report must include the number and type of animal complaints received and responded to by municipal animal control officers, law enforcement officers or municipal officials and the outcomes of each investigation. The reports must be on forms provided by the department.

Legislative History

PL 1987, c. 383, §3 (NEW). PL 1987, c. 643, §4 (AMD). PL 1993, c. 468, §16 (AMD). PL 1995, c. 490, §17 (AMD). PL 1997, c. 690, §§29-31 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 343, §21 (AMD). PL 2017, c. 404, §10 (AMD).