I’ve seen references to New York City’s 1894 ordinance requiring dog licenses with fees supporting impoundment; does anyone have an older verified example or the actual text? I’m benchmarking historic revenue tools to inform a 2026 fee and penalty update, so citations or archives would help me compare policy intent, not just anecdotes…
Pretty sure Massachusetts beat that: statewide dog licensing shows up in the 1860s — look for “An Act concerning Dogs” in the Acts & Resolves (I’ve seen it in the 1867 volume; fees go to towns/pound costs — not a shaggy dog story). Want statewide or city-only precedents? Start here: https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Search/Home?lookfor=Acts%20and%20Resolves%20Massachusetts%201867.
, 1894 NYC isn’t the floor. Building on @p_thompson3, check Massachusetts Acts & Resolves 1867 for “An Act concerning Dogs” — it sets a per-dog license but routes receipts to sheep-damage (then schools), not impoundment, which matters for your 2026 revenue intent; if you want a city analogue, the 1868 Philadelphia ordinance digest has a dog-collar tax — want me to pull the page scans?