Chap. 182.—An ACT to Amend and Re-enact an Act Passed Febrnary 28th,
1846, Entitled an Act Providing more Effectually for the Protection of
Sheep in the County of Loudoun, and to Repeal Certain Acts Amenda-
tory thereof.

Approved March 14, 1872.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly, That the act passed +
February twenty-eighth, eighteen hundred and forty-six, enti- L
tled an act providing more effectually for the protection of *
sheep in the county of Loudoun, be amended and re-enacted 1
so as to read as follows:

$1. That it shall be the duty of the township assessors for T

said county of Loudoun, to take annually at the time of listing g
the taxable property therein, a list of all dogs, with the name 4
of the owner or person in whose possession the same are found,
upon the oath or aflirmation of the owner or housekeeper, or
head of the family with whom or on whose lot or plantation
any dog or dogs may be found, as to the number of dogs such
person may own or have or be upon his or her lot, plantation
or premises, whether owned by him or her, or not, and shall
return such list of dogs to the clerk's office of said county at
the time when he returns his lists of taxable property, under
the like fines, penalties and forfeitures for neglect of any simi-
lar duties thereon, as in relation to his duties in listing and
returning lists of taxable property.

€ 2. That every dog kept or staying about any house, shall
be deemed sufficient evidence of ownership to authorize the
assessor to return the person inhabiting said house as the
owner of such dog; and every dog not returned, or if returned
and the tax not paid thereon, shall be deemed to have no owner
and may be lawfully killed by any person sceing him run at
arge.

s 3. That when said assessors shall have ascertained the
number of dogs, they shall levy and cause to be collected the
sum of seventy-five cents for each dog so assessed, and the said
sum shall be collected and accounted for by the treasurer of
said county, as county levies are by law directed to be collected
and accounted for, and the said treasurer shall keep a separate
account of money arising from the tax on dogs and pay the
same, after deducting commissions and delinquents, to a com-
missioner hereafter authorized in this act, and the said money
shall be and is hereby appropriated as a fund for remunerating
the inhabitants of said county for any loss they may sustain by
sheep being destroyed by a dog or dogs, the residue, if any, to
be divided among the several townships for school purposes.

§ 4. That when any inhabitant of the county aforesaid shall
have any sheep destroyed by a dog or dogs, he or she may
apply to the appraisers provided by this act, and they or any
two of them are hereby anthorized and required to view and
ascertain the damages sustained by the owners of such sheep
destroyed as aforesaid; and when they shall have ascertained
the legality of the claim and the damages so sustained, they, or
any two of them, shall certify the same under their hands and
seals to said commissioner, who shall receive the said certificate
and give a receipt for the same, and shall have it filed in his
office; and at the close of each year, he shall make an estimate
of such certificates as may have been presented to him, and
also the amount of all such tax of the same year; and if upon
such estimate it shall appear that the amount of said tax will
be insufficient to discharge the ~whole amount of damages, he
shall apportion the amount and pay to each sufferer in propor-
tion to the loss sustained; and if at any time after scttling the
yearly account as aforesaid, there shall be an overplus, such
overplus shall be divided between the townships of said county
in proportion to the funds originally received from each for the
support of free schools.

¢ 5. That it shall be the duty of the justices of the peace in
said county, upon theapplication of the owners of sheep which
have been destroyed by dogs, since the commencement of this
act, to issue a summons to three discreet housekeepers in the
neighborhood, to appear forthwith on the premises, where such
sheep may be; and after being first duly qualified, they or any
two of them, shall proceed to ascertain and appraise the true
value of said sheep and return a statement of the same under
their hands and seals to the owner.

2. That the judge of the county court shall appoint a dis-
creet person commissioner under this act, whose duty it shall
be to receive and rece!pt for all certificates for damages under
this act, file the same in his office, receive from the treasurer
all moneys collected under this act, and apportion the funds
ratably amongst the owners of said certificates, and pay the
same within ten days after he shall have settled his account,
which scttlement shall be made once in each year. Before
entering upon the performance of his duties under this act, he
shall give bond and security in the penalty of two thousand
dollars, subject to the approval of the court for the faithful
discharge of his duties.

3. That the assessor and treasurer shall receive a like com-
mission for their services in this behalf, as is now allowed by
the state, and the commissioner shall receive a commission of
ten per cent. on all money paid out by him.

4. That the act passed March seventeenth, e:vhteen hundred
and forty-nine, entitled an act to amend the act entitled an act
providing more effectually for the protection of sheep in the
county of Loudoun. and the act passed March thirteenth,
eighteen hundred and fifty, entitled an act concerning the pro-
tection of sheep in the county of Loudoun, be, and the same
are hereby repealed.

5. This act shall be in force from its passage.