Massachusetts General Laws
Chapter 129 - Livestock Disease Control
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 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

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