A poundmaster, or poundkeeper, was a local government official responsible for the feeding and care of stray

livestock Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animals ...

such as

domestic pig The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus '' Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Sus s ...

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million y ...

sheep Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus ''Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated s ...

, and

geese A goose (plural, : geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family (biology), family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera ''Anser (bird), Anser'' (the grey geese and white geese) and ''Branta'' (the black geese). Some o ...

. This was common in

colonial America The colonial history of the United States covers the history of European colonization of North America from the early 17th century until the incorporation of the Thirteen Colonies into the United States after the Revolutionary War. In the ...

and continued into the 19th century. Unlike today, the control of stray

companion animals A pet, or companion animal, is an animal kept primarily for a person's company or entertainment rather than as a working animal, livestock, or a laboratory animal. Popular pets are often considered to have attractive appearances, intelligence, ...

(cats and dogs) was not the duty of the poundmaster.

Duties and function

The poundmaster was tasked with impounding livestock that were loose in a city, town, or village. Wayward animals were brought to the pound by the poundmaster,

constable A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in criminal law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. A constable is commonly the rank of an officer within the police. Other peop ...

s, or private citizens. The poundmaster would attempt to notify the owner, who could pay a fine and any associated fees, and claim the animal(s). If unclaimed, the animals would be sold at auction. More valuable livestock could require longer periods of public notification before an auction. In

New York state New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...

, in the early 19th century, the poundmaster was required by law to sell unclaimed impounded animals within six days and give 48 hours' notice of the sale. The owner could claim the proceeds of the sale (less fines and fees) for one year after the sale at which time the money would be transferred to the

overseer of the poor An overseer of the poor was an official who administered poor relief such as money, food, and clothing in England and various other countries which derived their law from England such as the United States. England In England, overseers of the poo ...

for their use. Fees include the fee for the poundmaster plus daily feeding costs of the animals, fees of any

Fence Viewer A fence viewer is a town or city official who administers fence laws by inspecting new fences and settles disputes arising from trespass by livestock that have escaped enclosure. The office of fence viewer is one of the oldest appointments in New E ...

s involved in the case, and any property damages assessed by the fence-viewers. A New York State law of March 19, 1813 required each town to choose as many poundmasters as the electors determined to be "necessary and convenient." While other town officials were elected by secret ballot, the

town clerk A clerk is a senior official of many municipal governments in the English-speaking world. In some communities, including most in the United States, the position is elected, but in many others, the clerk is appointed to their post. In the UK, a To ...

used a blank sheet of paper to write the names of poundmaster candidates and record their votes. In some areas, the poundmaster would slaughter the animals and sell only the meat. In the 18th century, the pound was typically a centrally located stone fenced enclosure. Two such partially surviving structures, the

Pownal Cattle Pound The Pownal Cattle Pound is a historic stone animal pound in Bradbury Mountain State Park, Pownal, Maine. Built in 1818, it is one of a modest number of these once-common structures left in the state. It was listed on the National Register of His ...

and the

Turner Cattle Pound Turner Cattle Pound is a historic animal pound at the corner of Gen. Turner Hill Road and Kennebec Trail in Turner, Maine. Built in 1816, it is a well-preserved example of a once-common feature of New England's agricultural communities. It was ...

, both in

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

, are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. Since the need to deal with stray livestock today is rare, the function has evolved into the modern dog-catcher or

animal control officer An animal control service or animal control agency is an entity charged with responding to requests for help with animals ranging from wild animals, dangerous animals, or animals in distress. An individual who works for such an entity was once kno ...

. While not commonly used, the term poundmaster is often found in local government charters. It is referring to the person in charge of a (companion animal) pound.

Other countries

The poundmaster also existed in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, and may go back to

England in the Middle Ages England in the Middle Ages concerns the history of England during the medieval period, from the end of the 5th century through to the start of the Early Modern period in 1485. When England emerged from the collapse of the Roman Empire, the eco ...

References

{{reflist 19th-century disestablishments in the United States Animal law Animal care occupations Civil services Colonization history of the United States Local government in the United States Obsolete occupations