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Dog Policy

- Adopted September 14, 2015 

Lyman Dog Policy

As required by RSA 466:1, all dogs are to be licensed by April 30th of each year. A current rabies vaccination certificate must be presented at time of licensing. If requesting the reduced fee for a neutered animal, verification of neutering/spaying is required. The month of May is a grace period. However, any owner of a dog not licensed by June 1st, under RSA 466:13, is required to pay civil forfeiture to the Town of Lyman within 96 hours of the date and time notice is given. Any person who fails to pay the forfeiture within the allotted amount of time will be issued a summons to District Court. At the time that the forfeiture is paid, the dog owner will also be required to obtain a license for the dog(s). Pursuant to RSA 466:1 and RSA 466:4, a current rabies vaccination, and if requesting the lower neutered license fee, either spaying or neutering certificate is required. Owner is responsible for maintaining these documents in his/her possession. There is a $1/month late charge after June 1st as well as the forfeiture fee. All costs and fees for certified mailing will be paid by the fined dog owner.

Lyman does have a leash law. The Town of Lyman at a "special election" held on November 4, 1980, adopted RSA 466:30-a, "Dog Control Law." "Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, it shall be unlawful for any dog to run at large, except when accompanied by the owner or custodian, and when used for hunting, herding, supervised competition and exhibition or training for such. For the purpose of this section, 'accompanied' means that the owner or custodian must be able to see or hear, or both, or have reasonable knowledge of where the dog is hunting, herding, or training. Nothing herein shall mean that the dog must be within sight at all times. In this section, 'at large' means off the premises of the owner or keeper and not under control of any person by means of personal presence and attention as will reasonably control the conduct of such dog, unless accompanied by the owner or custodian."

Initial Nuisance complaints shall be made in writing to the Board of Selectmen. The owner of such dog(s) shall be sent a formal notice concerning the violation and what needs to be done to correct it. Failure of any owner to correct violations shall result in fines and court summonses being issued by the Animal Control Officer as outlined below under Nuisance Offenses.

All Menace and Vicious complaints shall be referred directly to the Animal Control Officer. Failure of any owner to correct violations shall result in fines and court summonses being issued by the Animal Control Officer as outlined below under Menace and Vicious Offenses.

  • If the Animal Control Officer does not witness the violation, the complainant's names shall be released.
  • The date of the initial warning or fine starts the 12-month clock for schedule of warnings, fines and summonses. This process starts over every 12 months.
  • Offenses are per pet owner as opposed to individual dogs.
Nuisance Offenses - Dogs at large, barking* / digging / scratching / excreting / in heat
  1. 1st Offense Written warning from Board of Selectmen
  2. 2nd Offense $25 fine - pay fine within 96 hours or summons to District Court
  3. 3rd Offense $100 fine - pay fine within 96 hours or summons to District Court
  4. Additional Offenses $100 fine - summons to District Court
* For purposes of barking, the Selectmen have defined nighttime hours as 9 pm to 7 am. A dog must bark for sustained periods of more than 1/2 hour, or during the night hours so as to disturb the peace and quiet of a neighborhood or area, not including a dog which is guarding, working or herding livestock.
 
Menace Offenses - Growling / Snapping / Chasing after a person, chasing vehicles
  1. 1st Offense Written warning from Animal Control Officer
  2. 2nd Offense $50 fine - pay fine within 96 hours or summons to District Court
  3. 3rd Offense $200 fine - pay fine within 96 hours or summons to District Court
  4. Additional Offenses $200 fine - summons to District Court
Vicious Offenses - Dogs that bite other dogs or people*
  1. 1st Offense $100 fine - pay fine within 96 hours or summons to District Court
  2. 2nd Offense $400 fine - pay fine within 96 hours or summons to District Court
  3. Additional Offenses $400 fine - summons to District Court

* If a vicious dog's behavior presents a threat to public safety, immediate district court proceedings may be initiated in lieu of the civil forfeiture. A vicious dog may also be impounded.

The complete statute governing dogs, RSA 466, is available here for reference & at the Town Office.

Lyman Board of Selectmen
Bruce Beane, Chairman
James Trudell
Stephen Moscicki