Massachusetts General Laws
Chapter 129 - Livestock Disease Control
Section 28 - Notice of Contagious Disease to Director

Section 28. The board of health of a town, any member or agent thereof or any other person who has knowledge of or reason to suspect the existence of any contagious disease among any domestic animals in the commonwealth, or that any domestic animal is affected with a contagious disease, whether such knowledge is obtained by personal examination or otherwise, shall immediately give written notice thereof to the director, or to an inspector for the town where the animal is kept. Whoever fails to give such notice shall be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars. Upon the receipt of such notice by said inspector, he shall proceed as provided in sections twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-four and twenty-nine. Upon receipt of such notice by the director he shall inspect or cause his agent to inspect such animal, and thereafter shall proceed as provided in section eleven or fourteen, as the case may be.

Structure Massachusetts General Laws

Massachusetts General Laws

Part I - Administration of the Government

Title XIX - Agriculture and Conservation

Chapter 129 - Livestock Disease Control

Section 1 - Definitions

Section 2 - Powers and Duties of Director; Orders

Section 3 - Records of Inspectors; Forms

Section 4 - Certification of Documents by Clerk

Section 5 - Entry of Orders, Rules and Regulations on Records; Publication

Section 6 - Aid to Director and Inspectors by Sheriffs, Constables and Police Officers

Section 7 - Entry on Premises

Section 8 - Hospitals and Quarantine Stations

Section 9 - Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals; Animal Rescue League of Boston; Agents; Powers and Duties

Section 10 - Examination of Persons Under Oath; Mandatory Attendance and Testimony of Witnesses

Section 11 - Isolation or Destruction of Diseased Animals; Post Mortem Examination

Section 13a - Destruction of Animals Affected With Scrapie; Partial Compensation

Section 14 - Destruction of Animals Affected With Foot and Mouth Disease; Disinfection or Destruction of Buildings

Section 14a - Quarantine or Destruction of Animals Affected With Vesicular Stomatitis or Vesicular Exanthema

Section 14b - Feeding Garbage to Swine

Section 14c - Hog Cholera; Slaughtering of Hogs; Payment to Owners

Section 14d - Hogs Affected With Brucellosis; Quarantine and Testing

Section 14e - Breeding, Feeder or Slaughter Swine Imported Into Commonwealth

Section 15 - Inspector of Animals; Appointment

Section 16 - Refusal or Neglect of Town to Appoint Inspector; Appointment by Director

Section 17 - Oath of Inspectors; Compensation; Reimbursement of Towns

Section 18 - Duties of Inspectors; Training; Enforcement

Section 19 - Inspections of Domestic Animals

Section 20 - Certificate of Healthy Condition

Section 21 - Quarantine of Diseased Animals; Notice or Order; Records

Section 22 - Service of Notice or Order of Quarantine; Return; Evidence

Section 22a - Dogs Owned by Police Departments or Agencies

Section 23 - Examination of Buildings; Report

Section 24 - Notice of Quarantine

Section 25 - Records of Inspectors of Animals; Returns

Section 26 - Application of Chapter to Inspectors in Boston

Section 26a - Shipping Cattle Into Commonwealth Without Inspection; Certificate of Health

Section 26b - Hatching Eggs; Baby Chicks or Live Poultry; Restriction on Sale, Transportation or Importation

Section 27 - Seizure, Quarantine and Destruction of Imported Diseased Animals

Section 28 - Notice of Contagious Disease to Director

Section 29 - Expense of Quarantine

Section 30 - Effect of Quarantine; Release; Violation of Quarantine; Penalty

Section 31 - Damages; Arbitration; Petition for Assessment of Damages

Section 31a - Shipping or Delivering Tuberculin Within Commonwealth; Statement as to Use; Application to Common Carriers

Section 32 - Use of Tuberculin as Diagnostic Agent; Tests

Section 33 - Compensation for Animals Reacting to Tuberculin Test; Appraisals

Section 33a - Identification of Reacting Bovine Animals; Removal of Tag; Disposition of Tagged Animals

Section 33b - Declaration of Quarantine Areas; Tuberculin Tests of Bovine Animals; Modified Accredited Areas; Violation of Terms of Quarantine

Section 33c - Declaration of Quarantine Area; Tests for Brucellosis of Bovine Animals; Modified Certified Brucellosis Free Area; Violation of Terms of Quarantine

Section 33d - Tests for Detection of Brucellosis; Identification of Animals; Destruction

Section 34 - Compensation to Violators of Regulations

Section 35 - Driving Certain Cattle on Public Ways or Roads

Section 36 - Notice of Contagious Diseases

Section 36b - Vaccination of Female Calves; Identification of Positive Reactors; Transportation of Unvaccinated Bovine Animals

Section 36d - Importation of Vaccinated Animals; Conditions

Section 36e - Importation of Unvaccinated Female Cattle Over Five Months of Age

Section 36f - Brucellosis, Imported Cattle, Blood Testing

Section 36g - Reimbursement of Owners for Slaughter of Animals Reacting Positively to Blood Test for Brucellosis; Appraisal

Section 36h - Waiver of Compliance With Secs. 36b, 36d to 36f

Section 37 - Enforcement Actions; Jurisdiction of Commissioner of Agriculture, District and Superior Courts

Section 38 - Annual Report

Section 39 - Licensing of Persons Dealing in Bovine and Porcine Animals; Fee

Section 39a - Pet Shops; Licensing Operation; Animal Health Inspections

Section 39b - Guard Dog Businesses; Licenses

Section 39c - Hearing Dog Business; Licenses

Section 39d - Hearing Dog Business; Access to Public Facilities

Section 39e - Livestock Auction Business; Licenses

Section 39f - Service Dogs; Trainer Rights

Section 39g - Official Health Certificate Requirement for Dog or Cat Brought or Shipped Into Commonwealth; Purchase of Animal for Resale; Vaccination Record; Devocalization Prohibited

Section 40 - License Plates for Vehicles Used for Transportation of Bovine or Porcine Animals; Fee; Revocation

Section 40a - Hog Cholera Vaccine; Prohibited Use

Section 41 - Bill of Sale or Memorandum Signed by Owner of Persons Transporting Bovine Animals; Exhibition on Demand

Section 42 - Tagging Bovine Animal With Identification Tag

Section 43 - Penalties for Violation of Secs. 39 to 42

Section 44 - Testing of Imported Equine Animals for Infectious Anemia; Certification

Section 44a - Destruction or Quarantine of Infected Equine Animals

Section 45 - License to Deal in or Auction Equine Animals

Section 46 - License Plates for Vehicles Transporting Equine Animals

Section 47 - Bill of Sale or Memorandum

Section 48 - Violations, Penalties