The Massachusetts pet laws by design are for the purpose of controlling the pet population within the state. However, if you are a dog owner of 3 dogs no kennel license is required, but you must maintain current licensing within the town that you live in. Moreover, if you own 4 dogs, you are now considered a kennel, therefore requiring a kennel license.

This means an Animal Control Officer can inspect you at any time, it also means, that the power of the town and state can come upon you if you are caught doing something wrong. This part of the law, I am in agreement with, but, if we exam the other side of this issue.

There are dog owners and cat and dog owners who would like to keep their pets, some owners have more than 3 some have less than 3 pets, and others have 4 or more pets. The law is flawed, by the way it was written, and the definitions are flawed as well.

The change in the law that should satisfy the people or dog owners and cat owners is a commonsense change, the suggested new definition:

Proposed definition- Family or Individual(s) and domestic pets

A family or individual(s) owning, 4 or less or 4 or more domestic pets, and is not engaged in breeding, re-sale for profit, and is not a kennel, which is “a house or shelter for a dog or a cat. Often, kennels. An establishment where dogs or cats are bred, raised, trained, or boarded. The hole or lair of an animal, especially a fox.”

Therefore, not be subject to M.G.L.A. c. 140 §137A, and only required to license or register as family and domestic pet owner with 4 dog licenses.

This suggested change will open the door to less government control of our Constitutional rights and private rights to own of personal property without fear from a government of local government infringing upon these natural rights.

I hope you will join me in the fight as a pet owner, to take back the rights of ownership of our personal property, and not let the government dictate what they think is going to be good for us pet owners who are following the laws of the state.