All dog owners are required to license any dog which is six months or older. (Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 140, Section 137 & Article 5, section 3 of the General By-Laws of the Town of Foxborough).
Each dog shall be licensed at the office of the Town Clerk:
- annually (licensing period runs from April 1 to March 31)
- the owner must provide a veterinarian certificate as evidence of the dog having been vaccinated against rabies
- the annual fee is $12.00 for male/female dogs or $10.00 for neutered male or spayed female dogs.(effective for licensing period beginning in 2010).
- A $20.00 late fee will be charged for renewal of any licenses after April 30, 2010.
- Each household is allowed to keep up to three separately licensed dogs on the premises. Keeping of four or more dogs on a premise requires the owner to obtain a kennel license through approval by the Zoning Board of Appeals.
- RABIES CLINIC: The Board of Health for the Town of Foxborough holds a rabies clinic in April of each year.
WHAT IS RABIES? -- Rabies is a disease caused by a germ in the saliva of a rabid animal including dogs. The germs enter the body through a wound made when a rabid animal bites another animal or person. The virus may also get into the body through open cuts or wounds.
CAN RABIES BE PREVENTED? -- The good news is that rabies in humans and pets can be prevented by a vaccine. Massachusetts Law requires dog owners to have their dogs vaccinated for the prevention of rabies. For people who are bitten or scratched by a rabid animal, prompt treatment will protect the person from getting rabies.
HOW CAN I TELL IF AN ANIMAL HAS RABIES? – You can’t tell if an animal has rabies. When an animal is sick with rabies, it may behave strangely. But a rabid animal may also appear healthy or even tame. The only way to tell if an animal has rabies is by testing it in a laboratory, or for some pets, by quarantine to see if rabies develops.
RABIES NEVER APPEARS AS SUDDEN CONVULSIONS OR FITS.
WHAT TO DO WITH A DOG THAT HAS BITTEN A PERSON? -- Do not put the dog down. Confine the dog and call a veterinarian. The dog should be kept under observation. If it remains well, there is no danger of rabies to an animal or person bitten; if it has rabies, definite symptoms will occur within the two week period of restraint that is required. If the dog is killed at once, you may never know whether or not it was rabid.
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