Chap. 525.         AN ACT  FURTHER   REGULATING  THE  LICENSING

OF DOGS.

Be it enacted,  etc.,  as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 137 of chapter 140 of the General Laws, as most recently amended by section 1 of chapter 100 of the acts of 1980, is hereby further amended by inserting after the first paragraph the following two paragraphs:-

No town clerk or, in Boston, the police commissioner, shall grant such license for any dog unless the owner thereof provides such town clerk or, in Boston, the police commissioner, either a veterinarian's certification that such dog has been vaccinated in accordance with the provisions of section one hundred and forty-five B, or has been certified exempt from such provision as hereinafter provided, or a notarized letter from a veterinarian that a certification was issued or a metal rabies tag bearing an expiration date indicating that such certification is still in effect.

A dog licensing official may grant an exemption from the provisions of section one hundred and forty-five B for any dog which has not yet attained the age of six months, any dog which the local board of health, for a specified period of time, declared exempt upon presentation of a veterinarian's certificate stating that because of an infirmity, other physical condition or regimen of therapy, that inoculation is thereby deemed inadvisable, or any dog in transit, or dog brought into the commonwealth, temporarily, for the sole purpose of showing in dog shows or exhibition.

SECTION 2. The first paragraph of section 145B of said chapter 140, as most recently amended by section 2 of said chapter 100, is hereby further amended by adding the following sentence:- Such owner or keeper shall procure a veterinarian's certification that such dog has been so vaccinated and setting forth the date of such vaccination and the duration of immunity, or a notarized letter from a veterinarian that a certification was issued, or a metal rabies tag bearing an expiration date indicating that such certification is still in effect.

Approved November 29, 1983.