Section 161 Damages caused by dogs and paid by county; compensation for appraisers - Massachusetts Statutes

Section 161. Whoever suffers loss by the worrying, maiming or killing of his live stock or fowls by dogs, outside the premises of the owners or keepers of such dogs, may, if the damage is done in a city, inform the officer of police of the city who shall be designated to receive such information by the authority appointing the police, and, if the damage is done in a town, may inform the chairman of the selectmen of the town, or, if he is absent or ill, any one of the selectmen, who shall proceed to the premises where the damage was done and determine whether the same was inflicted by dogs, and if so, appraise the amount thereof if it does not exceed fifty dollars. If in the opinion of said officer of police, chairman or selectman, the amount of said damage exceeds fifty dollars, the damage shall be appraised, on oath, by three persons, of whom one shall be such officer of police, chairman or selectman, one shall be appointed by the person alleged to be damaged, and the third shall be appointed by the other two. The said appraisers shall consider and include in such damages the labor and time necessarily expended in the finding and collecting of the live stock or fowls injured or separated and the value of those lost or otherwise damaged by dogs. The said officer of police, chairman or selectman shall return a certificate of the damages found, except in Suffolk county, to the treasurer of the county where the damage was done, within ten days after such appraisal is made. The treasurer shall thereupon submit the same to the county commissioners, who within thirty days shall examine all bills for damages, and may upon their own motion or upon request of an interested party shall summon the appraisers and all parties interested and make such investigation as they may think proper, and shall issue an order upon the treasurer of the county for such amounts, if any, as they decide to be just and shall notify all interested parties of their decision. The treasurer, except in Suffolk county, shall pay all orders drawn upon him in full, for the above purpose, and for the expenses of appraisal out of any money in the county treasury, and payments made therefor shall be charged to the dog fund. The appraisers shall receive from the county three dollars each for every such examination made by them, and also twenty cents a mile one way for their necessary travel.