Section 39G. (a) A dog or cat brought or shipped into the commonwealth shall be accompanied by an official health certificate issued by an accredited veterinarian, a copy of which shall be sent to the commissioner of agricultural resources.
(b) For purposes of this section, an ''official health certificate'' shall mean a legible certificate or form issued by an accredited veterinarian and approved by the chief livestock official of the state or county of origin and shall contain the name and address of the consignor and consignee. The official health certificate shall also show the age, sex, breed and description of each dog or cat and certify that the dog or cat is free from visual evidence of infectious or contagious disease. An official health certificate shall show proof of rabies vaccination within the previous 12 months. If a dog or cat is imported into the commonwealth with an official health certificate that reflects that the dog or cat is not currently vaccinated for rabies, the dog or cat shall be vaccinated as required under section 145B of chapter 140.
(c) A dog or cat purchased within the commonwealth for resale by a commercial establishment or pet shop shall be accompanied by an official health certificate.
(d) A commercial establishment, pet shop, firm or corporation shall not import into the commonwealth, for sale or resale in the commonwealth, a cat or dog less than 8 weeks of age.
(e) A dog or cat sold in the commonwealth by a commercial establishment, pet shop, firm or corporation shall be accompanied by a health record indicating the date and type of each vaccine administered to each such dog or cat.
(f) No commercial establishment, pet shop, firm, corporation or person shall sell a dog or cat that has been surgically devocalized, as defined in section 80.5 of chapter 272, unless written notice that such devocalization has been conducted on the animal is provided to a prospective purchaser before the purchaser enters into an agreement to purchase that animal. In addition to the penalties set forth in this section, failure to provide such notice shall render a purchase agreement void. A violation of this subsection shall constitute an unfair or deceptive act or practice in the conduct of a trade or commerce under chapter 93A.
(g) The commissioner may, after notice and hearing, revoke or suspend a license issued under section 137A of chapter 140 or section 39A of this chapter for a violation of this section.
(h) Whoever is aggrieved by an order issued under this section may appeal within 30 days to the superior court in the county wherein the aggrieved party resides or where the aggrieved party's kennel or pet shop, which is the subject of the license, is located. The appellant shall state the findings by the commissioner and the grounds of appeal therefrom. The court shall consider the proceedings de novo and the parties shall have right of exception and appeal.
Structure Massachusetts General Laws
Part I - Administration of the Government
Title XIX - Agriculture and Conservation
Chapter 129 - Livestock Disease Control
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 8 - Hospitals and Quarantine Stations
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 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 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 32 - Use of Tuberculin as Diagnostic Agent; Tests
Section 33 - Compensation for Animals Reacting to Tuberculin Test; Appraisals
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 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 36h - Waiver of Compliance With Secs. 36b, 36d to 36f
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 40a - Hog Cholera Vaccine; Prohibited Use
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