Massachusetts General Laws Part I. Administration of the Government (Ch. 1-182) Ch. 129, § 28

The board of health of a town, any member or agent thereof or any other person who has knowledge of or reason to suspect the existence of any contagious disease among any domestic animals in the commonwealth, or that any domestic animal is affected with a contagious disease, whether such knowledge is obtained by personal examination or otherwise, shall immediately give written notice thereof to the director, or to an inspector for the town where the animal is kept. Whoever fails to give such notice shall be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars. Upon the receipt of such notice by said inspector, he shall proceed as provided in sections twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-four and twenty-nine. Upon receipt of such notice by the director he shall inspect or cause his agent to inspect such animal, and thereafter shall proceed as provided in section eleven or fourteen, as the case may be.