First Name
Last Name
Job Title
Municipality or Organization
Email
1. What item below is NOT required to be done on an annual basis?
Municipalities must designate ACOs to MDAR.
A municipality must issue a warrant to ACOs for their duties under Chapter 140.
ACOs must complete required training and submit to MDAR.
All of the above must happen on an annual basis for ACOs to be compliant with the Mass General Laws.
2. What is NOT a duty or responsibility of an ACO?
Complete intake forms for all municipal held animals.
Seek out, capture and confine stray dogs in their municipality.
Seek out owners for stray dogs and try to reunite dogs with owners whenever possible.
Issue and release rabies quarantines.
3. All dogs must be licensed. The owner must license their dog when it reaches _______.
2 months of age
3 months of age
6 months of age
1 year of age
4. According to MGL which of these dogs may not be charged a licensing fee?
A service dog as defined by the ADA
A neutered dog owned by the town clerk.
A spayed rescue dog owned by a 25-year-old citizen
An intact purebred female owned by a breeder
5. If an owner moves with his dog, Spike (5 years old), from Waltham, Massachusetts, to Nantucket, Massachusetts, is Spike’s Waltham license valid in Nantucket?
Yes, until Spike’s Waltham license expires.
Yes, until 30 days after Spike moves to Nantucket.
No. As soon as Spike moves to a new town he is considered unlicensed
No. Spike’s owner had to apply for Nantucket licensure prior to moving
6. A veterinarian may cite that an animal is exempt from a rabies vaccination for which of the following reasons
The animal has an immune mediated disease.
The owner cannot afford to pay for the vaccine.
The owner has a moral or religious objection to the vaccination.
The animal is fractious at the time of the veterinary exam.
7. An animal has received a medical exemption from the rabies vaccination requirement, and the rabies certificate indicates that the last vaccine given has expired. If exposed to rabies, is this animal considered currently vaccinated?
Yes.
Yes, unless the animal has signs or symptoms of rabies.
It depends on how many vaccines the animal was given prior to the medical exemption.
No. The animal is not considered currently vaccinated, and since it cannot receive a rabies booster it would be treated as an unvaccinated animal for quarantine purposes.
8. Which is not a preferred method of searching for the owner of a stray dog?
Looking for identification, scanning the lost dog for a microchip, and searching for tattoos, or tags.
Posting the found dog on social media or webpage
Searching a licensing list for dogs with similar descriptions
All of these are preferred methods for searching for the owner of a lost dog
9. The State Mandatory hold period for a dog is 7 days. Under which of the following scenarios does the 7-day hold apply.
An owner surrenders their dog to animal control because it bit a member of their household, and they do not feel safe with it in the home.
A dog is found running in a park, it has no tags and no owner is known.
A dog ends up in ACO care, because it was in a car with its owner when they were incarcerated.
An owner is hospitalized, and animal control is called to pick up their dog because no other caretaker is known.
10. Ollie's Law passed in 2024, updating many kennel licensing laws. What did NOT change.
All municipalities must submit a list of all licensed kennels to MDAR annually.
All injuries that happen at commercial boarding or training kennels must be reported to the municipal licensing authority.
All dogs 6 months of age or older should be wearing their rabies and town license tags.
MDAR must develop commercial boarding and training kennel rules and regulations by June of 2026.
11. According to MGL, when may the mayor of a city, the selectboard of a town, the town manager, the police commissioner in the city of Boston, a chief of police or an animal control officer inspect a kennel or cause the inspection of a kennel?
Only a complaint is filed against the kennel
At any time
Only a chief of police may inspect a kennel lawfully
If the animal inspector is unavailable for such inspection
12. Which of the premises below would NOT be eligible to obtain a kennel license under the MGL definitions?
A veterinary hospital that offers vacation boarding for clients.
A breeder has 3 adult dogs on site. All puppies are sold and picked up by new owners when they reach 10 weeks of age.
A dog training facility that offers drop off training classes, that the dog's owner does not need to attend.
A small doggie daycare that only has a few dogs at a time and does not do overnight boarding.
13. Under the kennel laws, what statement below is false?
If a municipality is allowing a kennel to operate they must license the kennel, and the kennel must get inspected annually by the ACO.
A kennel license must state the type of kennel and set a maximum number of dogs allowed at the kennel.
A licensed shelter that has a facility to hold their dogs does not need to obtain a kennel license from the municipality.
A licensed shelter needs a municipal kennel license, but their kennel license fee is waived.
14. What type of premises must have more than 4 dogs, to met the kennel definition and be eligible to be licensed?
Personal Kennel
Commercial Boarding or Training Kennel
Veterinary Kennel
Commercial Breeder Kennel
15. MGL Chapter 140 Section 151A and 174A address the euthanasia of cats and dogs. Which method(s) is/are appropriate to administer euthanasia to a dog or cat in a NON-emergency situation?
Transport to a Veterinarian for the administration of barbiturates is the only appropriate method for NON-emergency situations
CO2 chamber
By gunshot
Both A and C are appropriate in NON-emergency situations
16. A disabled person owns a service dog. In what circumstances may this person be in violation of a city or town ordinance?
The person has his dog with him while dining inside restaurant, and the dog is sitting quietly under the table.
The person is at public beach, which has signs saying "No Dogs Allowed" and the dog is off leash chasing seagulls.
The person has his dog on a train where no dogs are allowed and the dog is at his feet.
The person has his dog in an emergency room where no pets are allowed, the dog is sitting on his lap.
17. If a person requests a nuisance or dangerous dog hearing, what should be done?
The municipality must investigate the matter, a public hearing and follow open meeting laws.
After the hearing, the hearing authority must deem the dog a nuisance, deem the dog dangerous, or dismiss the matter.
If the dog is deemed dangerous the municipality must order one or more of the remedial actions in MGL 140 sec. 157. If the dog is deemed a nuisance the municipality may order remedial actions to prevent the nuisance behavior.
All of the above are actions that the municipality should take.
18. If a dog, Candy, has been deemed a dangerous dog in Norwell, Massachusetts, under MGL, and has been ordered to wear a muzzle. Does Candy also need to wear a muzzle when staying in Adams, Massachusetts?
Yes
Yes, only if Candy’s owner moves to Adams
No
No, if Candy did not meet the dangerous dog standards in Adams
19. Regarding dogs in foster care, choose the CORRECT answer.
A person can foster for an unlicensed out-of-state rescue as long as the dog isn't adopted to a Massachusetts resident.
The foster dog is covered by the foster parent’s kennel license automatically, as long as the kennel limit is not exceeded.
Foster dogs over 6 months of age should be wearing rabies tags, and should be licensed in the foster home's town if the dog remains there more than 30 days.
Foster dogs do NOT need to be licensed.
20. You are dealing with a case of dogs being housed in an area that often has an excessive buildup of waste, you want to improve the conditions, but you don't feel the conditions are severe enough to justify a felony animal cruelty charge. Which law could you use to issue a non-criminal citation?
MGL Chapter 140 Section 137
MGL Chapter 140 Section 157
MGL Chapter 140, Section 174E
MGL Chapter 140, Section 174F
21. Which of these is not an indicator of animal cruelty?
Spoiled food placed within reach of the animal, and no other food/water is available.
Two dogs are kept in the same enclosure unsupervised, that have a history of fighting and injuring each other.
Deep mats can be felt covering a long-haired cat's back.
All of the above could be indicators of animal cruelty.
22. A person convicted of serious animal welfare or cruelty concerns as detailed in MGL Chapter 272 shall be prohibited from doing which of the following?
Working as a veterinary technician
Volunteering at an animal shelter
Owning a pet shop
All of the above
23. An exigent circumstance constitutes an emergency that may allow entry onto a private premise without a warrant. Which of these situations is NOT exigent?
An animal is observed to be suffering from a severe illness that requires immediate veterinary attention
An animal has a life-threatening injury that appears to have just occurred
A dead animal is observed at the scene, and no other animals are present
All of the above are exigent
24. What is the penalty for selling, adopting, or otherwise transferring a puppy or kitten under 8 weeks of age to a new owner?
Not more than $100 for each offense.
Not more than $50 for first offense, not more than $100 for second offense, and not more than $300 subsequent offense.
Not less than $50 for first offense, and not less than $100 for subsequent offense
Not more than $500 or imprisonment for not more than 60 days in a jail or house of correction.
25. When are you allowed to take photos of a suspected animal cruelty crime scene?
Never. Only the police or an Animal Control Officer designated as a “special police officer” may take photographs
Only if you are the first responder at the scene
Only if your supervisor is with you at the scene
Always, as long as you are legally allowed to be at the scene
26. Under MGL Chapter 140, Section 174F, which of these statements is false? _______________.
A person other than an ACO, law enforcement officer, or fire fighter may enter a motor vehicle to assist an animal in distress at any time without first calling 911
A person shall not confine an animal in a motor vehicle in extreme heat or cold
An ACO, law enforcement officer, or fire fighter may enter a motor vehicle for the sole purpose of removing an animal from unsafe vehicle conditions if an owner cannot be located
If an animal is removed from an unsafe vehicle, written notice must be left in a conspicuous place for the owner
27. What is the penalty under MGL for violation of the order given by the hearing authority or District court on a dangerous dog?
$1,000 for the first offense; $2,500 for the second offense
$50 for the first offense; $100 for the second offense or imprisonment for no more than 30 days in a jail or house of correction
$1,000 for the first offense and any offense thereafter
$500 or imprisonment for no more than 60 days in jail or house of correction, or both, for the first offense; $1,000 for the second offense or imprisonment for not more than 90 days in a jail or house of correction.
28. In which of these instances would you cite an owner under MGL Chapter 140 section 174E?
A dog is secured with a lightweight cable to a trolley system for 2 hours in 60 degree, overcast weather with access to an adequate shelter and water.
A dog is secured in an electronically fenced yard with the owner present.
A dog is observed in a fenced yard during a state-declared blizzard emergency with 2’ of snow and no owner present.
A dog is outside in a secure pen with adequate space for exercise of at least 100’ with access to adequate shelter, water and food.
29. What matter is NOT covered under MGLs Chapter 140 136A-174H?
All dogs over 6 months of age must be licensed.
All dogs, cats and ferrets over 6 months of age must be rabies vaccinated.
Dogs must be leashed when off private property.
Cats cannot be declawed unless it is being done for a therapeutic purpose.
30. When should you issue a written warning?
Only upon the second offense after a verbal warning has not been heeded
Only upon a criminal offense
Always, because there is no way to prove a verbal warning
Never, a “warning” should always be issued verbally.