{"data":{"id":"us-md/md.-code-local-government-13-115","jurisdiction":"us-md","citation":"Md. Code, Local Government § 13–115","heading":"","body":"(a) (1) The County Commissioners of Calvert County shall set the fees\nfor dog licenses in Calvert County.\n(2) Before establishing or altering a license fee, the county\ncommissioners shall advertise the proposed fee for 2 successive weeks in at least two\nnewspapers of general circulation in the county.\n(3) A license expires 1, 2, or 3 years after the date of issue, as\nspecified by county law.\n(b) (1) In Calvert County, the county tax collector shall issue a tag with\neach dog license to a person owning or keeping a dog when the person pays the license\nfee for the dog.\n(2) The County Commissioners of Calvert County shall prepare and\nsupply tags to the county tax collector each year.\n(3) The tags shall be:\n(i) composed of metal;\n(ii) imprinted with a serial number corresponding to the\nnumber on the license issued to the owner;\n(iii) imprinted with the calendar year for which the tag is\nissued;\n(iv) 2 inches or less in length; and\n(v) equipped with a substantial metal fastener.\n(4) The county commissioners shall change the general shape of the\ntags each year.\n(5) Tags supplied to owners of kennels shall contain the word\n“kennel”.\n(6) The county tax collector shall replace a lost tag on:\n(i) application by the person to whom the original license was\nissued;\n(ii) the production of the license; and\n(iii) payment of a fee of 50 cents.\n(c) (1) The County Commissioners of Calvert County may adopt rules\nand regulations for:\n(i) issuing dog licenses;\n(ii) keeping records of dog licenses;\n(iii) enforcing the rules and regulations; and\n(iv) any other matter concerning dogs the county\ncommissioners consider necessary for the public health, safety, and welfare.\n(2) The county commissioners may:\n(i) by ordinance, provide for the regulation, humane\ntreatment, and keeping of domestic animals;\n(ii) by resolution, provide for the quarantine of all dogs in the\ncounty if the county commissioners determine that quarantine is necessary for the\npublic health, safety, and welfare; and\n(iii) by ordinance, provide a penalty for a violation of an\nordinance enacted under this subsection of imprisonment not exceeding 30 days or a\nfine not exceeding $1,000 or both.\n(3) A fine imposed in accordance with an ordinance enacted under\nthis subsection shall be paid to the Calvert County Treasurer.\n(d) (1) The County Commissioners of Calvert County may create an\nAnimal Matters Hearing Board to resolve disputes and controversies arising under\nanimal control ordinances adopted under subsection (c) of this section.\n(2) The county commissioners may authorize an Animal Matters\nHearing Board to:\n(i) issue a subpoena to compel parties in a dispute to appear\nbefore the Board;\n(ii) assess a civil penalty not exceeding $1,000 for a violation\nof an ordinance adopted under subsection (c) of this section; and\n(iii) collect a civil penalty imposed under this paragraph.\n(e) (1) The County Commissioners of Calvert County may construct or\nlease, operate, and maintain an animal shelter in the county.\n(2) The county shall pay for the animal shelter and its operation.\n(3) The county commissioners may enter into agreements with\nadjacent counties to establish an animal shelter to serve the counties.\n(f) (1) (i) A dog running at large in Calvert County without the\nproper license tag attached is a nuisance and is subject to seizure, detention, and\neuthanasia.\n(ii) Whenever possible, the animal control officer or deputy\nanimal control officer shall seize and impound a dog found running at large in the\ncounty without the proper license tag attached.\n(iii) If an animal control officer or a deputy animal control\nofficer is not able to catch a dog running at large in the county without a proper\nlicense tag, the animal control officer or deputy animal control officer may shoot or\notherwise kill the dog.\n(2) (i) The County Commissioners of Calvert County, by\nordinance, may provide that an owner of a dog may not allow the dog, whether\nlicensed or unlicensed, to run at large within a platted subdivision or district zoned\nresidential if:\n1. a petition requesting the ordinance is submitted to\nthe county commissioners and signed by a majority of the residents of the platted\nsubdivision or district zoned residential, with a designation of the boundary limits of\nthe specific area; and\n2. the county commissioners advertise the proposed\nordinance and a public hearing on the ordinance for 2 successive weeks in two\nnewspapers of general circulation in the county.\n(ii) The county commissioners shall designate the boundary\nlimits of each area affected as part of any ordinance enacted under this paragraph.\n(3) (i) A dog impounded under this section shall be held for its\nowner for 72 hours.\n(ii) A dog shall be released to its owner or an agent of the owner\nduring the 72 hours if the owner or agent:\n1. provides satisfactory proof of ownership;\n2. pays the fee that the county commissioners set to\ncover the costs of seizing and impounding the dog; and\n3. presents a proper license for the dog.\n(4) (i) If a dog impounded under this subsection is not redeemed\nby its owner within 72 hours:\n1. the owner forfeits all rights of ownership to the dog;\n2. the dog becomes the property of the county; and\n3. the dog shall remain impounded for at least an\nadditional 48 hours.\n(ii) During the additional 48 hours, any person may obtain\nownership of the dog by paying the fee for the costs of seizing and impounding the\ndog and by purchasing a license for the dog.\n(5) An animal control officer or a deputy animal control officer may\neuthanize, in the most humane manner possible, a dog impounded under this\nsubsection that is not redeemed within 120 hours from the time of its seizure.","path":["Article - Local Government"],"source_url":"https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=glg\u0026section=13-115","current_through":"2026-01-01","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T19:59:58Z","sha256":"453195f1927318d5eb7890540d8e98ee5fb88a178796b2cfd99928c8cfd6cf93","source_id":"us-md","stale":false,"prev":"us-md/md.-code-local-government-13-114","next":"us-md/md.-code-local-government-13-116"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}