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Selectmen authorize Town Clerk to pursue enforcement for nearly 400 unlicensed dogs
Summary
The board voted 5‑0 to authorize the Town Clerk to follow RSA procedures for enforcement of unlicensed dogs; clerk reported an outstanding list of roughly 393 accounts, with certified‑mail civil forfeiture letters and an added handling fee planned.
The Farmington Board of Selectmen on June 29 authorized the Town Clerk/Tax Collector to pursue enforcement procedures for unlicensed dogs listed before April 30.
Sam Jerome, Town Clerk/Tax Collector, reported the clerk’s office had been sending renewal notices and postcards and had been providing an updated list to the Police Department. He cited an initial list figure of 412 and then said the current list stood at 393. Jerome said the clerk’s office will send certified civil‑forfeiture letters (adding an approximately $32 handling fee for certified mail) and that most entries are per person rather than per dog because households often have multiple animals.
Board discussion clarified that enforcement follows state statute rules and becomes a police enforcement/fine matter when rabies vaccination or license requirements are not met. A motion authorizing the Town Clerk to take procedures outlined by state law for unlicensed dogs passed 5‑0.
Jerome also discussed a small number of abatements tied to billing streamlining (transfer of collections between town systems rather than refunds) and said those had been signed administratively.
