Chap. 227.—An ACT for the Protection of Sheep inthe County of Pow-
hatan.

Approved March 25, 1875.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly, That it shall be
the duty of the commissioner of the revenue for the county
of Powhatan to take, annually, at the time of listing the
taxable property therein, » list of all dogs (male and female),
with the name of the owner or person in whose possession
the same are found, upon the oath or affirmation 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
y

number of dogs such person may own, or have upon his o1
her lot, or plantation, or premises, whether owned by hir
or her, or not, and shall return such list of dogs to the clerk‘
office of said county at the same time when he returns hi:
list of taxable property, under the like fines, penalties anc
forfeitures as aro now incurred by him for neglect of any
similar duties under existing laws as to his duties in listing
and returning lists of taxable property.

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

3. Upon complaint of any person to a justice of the peace.
that there is a dog staying upon the premises of any person
that is not listed, the justice shall at once summon such per-
son and the commissioner to appear before him and give
evidence as to the listing and ownership of such dog; and
if it appear that the person charged with the own@ehip ci
such dog isahe owner thereof, and has failed to list the same
as required by this act, the commissioner shall thereupon
list said dog, and if the owner fail to pay the tax thereon
and the costs hereby incurred, within ten days thereatter.
he shall be fined the sum of two dollars and costs, one-halt
of said fine to go to the informer; and in addition thereto.
the justice shall order the constable to kill said dog. The
fees allowed under this section shall be one dollar for each
dog killed, to be paid to the consteble by the county treasu-
rer, as Other rewards are paid under this act.

4, The board of supervisors of said county shall allow out
of the funds received from the tax tmposed by this act, 2
reward for killing in said county foxes and coons (seventy-
five cents for each red fox, fifty cents for each grey fox, and
twenty-five cents for each coon), and they shall make such
regulations and require such proof, for establishing the rights
of parties claiming such rewards, and for guarding against
frauds upon the county in such claims as they may think
necessary.

5. That when said commissioners shall have ascertained
the number of dogs in said county, they shall levy and cause
to be collected (as a license tax) the sum of one dollar for
every male dog, and two dollars for every female 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 kecp a soparate account of the money arising
from the said tax on dogs in the said county, and pay the
same, after deducting commissions and delinquents as here-
inafter 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, and for the destruc-
10n of red and grey foxes and coons, and the residue, if any,
oO go into the county treasury for county purposes.

6. That when any inhabitants of said county shall have
any sheep killed by a dug or dogs, he or she may apply to a
ustice of the peace in said county, who sball appoint three
discreet land owners in his neighborhood (two of whom may
uct), who shall view and ascertain the damages sustained by
the owners of such sheep, killed as aforesaid; and when, after
being sworn, they shall have ascertained the Icgality of the
claim, they shall ascertain and fix the true value of said
sheep so killed or injured, and certify the same under their
hands and seals, and deliver the certificate to the owner of
said sheep, who shall deliver the same to the county treas-
urer, who, under this act, shall receipt for the sane and have
it filed in his office; and at the close of each fiseal year he
shall make an cstimate of such certificates as may have been
presented to him, and also the amount of 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 and rewards, he shall apportion the
amount and pay to each sufferer in proportion to the loss
sustained. He shall also pay all rewards for the destruction
of dogs, foxes and coons, when properly certified to him by
the board of supervisors of said county; and if, after settling
the yearly account, as aforesaid, there shall be an surplus,
such surplus shall be placed to the credit of the county for
county purposes as aforesaid.

7. It shall be the duty of the county treasurer to keep a
separate account of all moneys reccived under this act, and
receipt for all certificates of damages, and file the same in
his office, and pay all losses and rewards herein prescribed
within five days after the settlement of his yearly accounts.

8. The fees of officers employed in the execution of this
act sball be similar to those received for like service; and
where none are prescribed by law, the board of supervisors
shall allow proper compensation; ali of which shall be paid
out of the aforesaid fund.

, 9. No puppy shall be required to be listed that is not sixty
days old.

10. This act shall not affect sections five and six of chap-
ter one hundred and two of the Code of eighteen hundred
and seventy-three.

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