Restraint and the Law

Section 2 of Article XXVII of the town's General By-Laws requires that a person who owns a dog shall keep that animal under restraint at all times. 

"No dog owned or kept in this Town shall be allowed to be off the premises of its owner or keeper except in the immediate restraint and control of some person by means of a leash or effective command. The owner or keeper of any such dog that is not restrained or controlled off the premises of its owner or keeper shall be punishable by a fine of up to fifty dollars or the maximum permitted by Section 173A of Chapter 140 of the Massachusetts General Laws, whichever is higher."

Restraint means:

• Physical confinement, for example, as by leash, chain, rope, fence, or within a building.
• Under competent voice control which, if on the owner's property, requires that the owner be present, monitoring the dog's activities. If off the owner's property, the animal must be restrained.
• Under competent voice control when on the property of the owner and the owner is present with the animal and monitoring all of its activities.