[Adopted 5-19-1993 by Ord. No. 4-93 (Ch.
32, Art. II of the 1967 Code)]
As used in this article, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
For the purpose of this article, a dog or cat.
Any person or agency designated or certified by the State
of New Jersey to enforce the provisions of this article.
Any member of the domestic feline species, male, female or
altered.
Any cat which has attained the age of seven months or which
possesses a set of permanent teeth.
Any room or group of rooms, cage or exhibition pen wherein
cats for sale are kept or displayed.
The agency or department of Jefferson Township or any designated
representative thereof charged with administering the issuance and/or
revocation of permits and licenses under the provisions of this article.
Rendered permanently incapable of reproduction as certified
by a licensed veterinarian.
When applied to the proprietorship of a cat, the term shall
include every person having a right of property (or custody) in such
cat and every person who has such cat in his/her keeping or who harbors
or maintains a cat or knowingly permits a cat to remain on or about
any premises occupied by that person.
Any individual, corporation, partnership, organization or
institution commonly recognized by law as a unit.
A.
Vaccination and license requirements. No person shall
own, keep, harbor or maintain any cat over seven months of age within
the Township of Jefferson unless such cat is vaccinated and licensed.
The provisions of this section do not apply to cats held in a cattery
or those held by a state or federal licensed research facility or
a veterinary establishment where cats are received or kept for diagnostic,
medical, surgical or other treatments or licensed animal shelters,
pounds, kennels or pet shops.
B.
Vaccination. All cats shall be vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian in accordance with the latest Compendium of Animal Rabies Vaccines and Recommendations for Immunization, published by the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, except as provided for in Subsection D.
C.
"Vaccination certificate" refers to a certificate
of vaccination that is issued to the owner of each animal vaccinated
on a form recommended by the state.
D.
Exemptions. Any cat may be exempted from the requirements
of such vaccination for a specified period of time by the Township
Health Officer or Township Division of Health upon presentation of
a veterinarian's certificate stating that because of an infirmity
or other physical condition or regimen of therapy the inoculation
of such cat shall be deemed inadvisable.
A.
Cats must have license number displayed. Any person
who shall own, keep or harbor a cat of licensing age shall initially
apply for a license during the month of June 1993, and thereafter
during the month of June annually apply for and procure from the Division
of Health of the municipality, or other official designated by the
governing body thereof to license cats, a license and official registration
tag with license number or a registration sleeve for each cat so owned,
kept or harbored and shall place upon such cat a collar or other device
with the license number securely fastened or displayed thereto. Acceptable
methods of displaying license numbers shall include, but are not limited
to, breakaway or elastic collars. License tags or sleeves are not
transferable.
B.
Time for applying for license. The owner of any newly
acquired cat of licensing age, or of any cat which attains licensing
age, shall make application for a license tag or sleeve for such cat
within 10 days after such acquisition or age attainment.
C.
Cats brought into the Township of Jefferson.
(1)
Any person who shall bring or cause to be brought
into this the Township of Jefferson any cat licensed in another state
for the current year and bearing a registration tag or sleeve and
shall keep the same or permit the same to be kept within the Township
of Jefferson for a period of more than 90 days shall immediately apply
for a license and registration tag or sleeve for each such cat.
(2)
Any person who shall bring or cause to be brought
into the Township of Jefferson any unlicensed cat and shall keep the
same or permit the same to be kept within the Township of Jefferson
for a period of more than 10 days shall immediately apply for a license
and registration tag or sleeve for each such cat.
D.
Application contents; preservation of information.
The application shall state the breed, sex, age, color and markings
of the cat for which the license and registration are sought and whether
it is of a long- or short-haired variety; also the name, street and
post office address of the owner and the person who shall keep or
harbor such cat. The information on said application and the registration
number issued for the cat shall be preserved for a period of three
years by the Division of Health or other local official designated
to license cats in the municipality.
E.
License forms and tags. License forms and official
tags or sleeves shall be furnished by the municipality and shall be
numbered serially and shall bear the year of issuance and the name
of the municipality.
F.
Evidence of inoculation with rabies vaccine or certification
of exemption; requirement for license. The Division of Health or other
official designated by the governing body to license cats shall grant
any such license and official registration tag or sleeve for any cat,
unless the owner thereof provides evidence that the cat to be licensed
and registered has been inoculated with a rabies vaccine of a type
approved by and administered in accordance with the recommendations
of the United States Department of Agriculture and the United States
Department of Human Services or has been certified exempt as provided
by this article. The rabies inoculation shall be administered by a
duly licensed veterinarian or by such other veterinarian permitted
by law to do the same.
G.
License fee schedule. A license shall be issued after
payment of an annual fee of $15 for each unneutered cat and $10 for
each neutered cat. Persons who fail to obtain a license as required
within the time period specified in this section will be subject to
a delinquent fee of $3 and a penalty fee of $3 per month.
[Amended 3-17-2004 by Ord. No. 4-04; 12-18-2019 by Ord. No.
19-32]
H.
Fees; renewals; expiration date of license.
(1)
A license from another municipality shall be accepted.
The person applying for the license and registration tag and/or sleeve
shall pay the fee fixed or authorized. The fee for the renewal of
a license and registration tag or sleeve shall be the same as for
the original, and said license, registration tag or sleeve and renewal
thereof shall expire on June 30 in the following year.
(2)
Only one license and registration tag or sleeve shall
be required in the licensing year for any cat in this Township of
Jefferson. Any valid New Jersey license tag or sleeve issued by a
New Jersey municipality shall be accepted by this municipality as
evidence of compliance.
I.
Loss of license. If a license tag or sleeve has been
misplaced or lost, the Township Division of Health may issue a duplicate
license and/or registration sleeve for that particular cat for a fee
of $2.
[Amended 12-18-2019 by Ord. No. 19-32]
J.
Proof of licensing. Proof of licensing shall be produced
by any person owning, keeping, maintaining or harboring a cat upon
the request of any health official, police officer, animal control
officer or other authorized person.
K.
Interfering with persons performing duties under this
article. No person shall hinder, molest or interfere with anyone authorized
or empowered to perform any duty under this article.
L.
Disposition of fees collected. License fees and other
moneys collected or received under the provisions of this article
shall be forwarded to the Treasurer of the municipality and shall
be placed in the general account.
M.
Each property shall have no more than eight cats. Properties harboring seven or more cats and not being an animal care facility as defined in Article I of Chapter 146 must register as a pet collective as defined in Article V of Chapter 146.
[Added 11-11-2020 by Ord. No. 20-21; amended 7-7-2021 by Ord. No. 21-18]
[Added 9-1-2004 by Ord. No. 28-04; amended 6-14-2006 by Ord. No.
16-06]
Any person who shall violate any provision of
this article shall, upon conviction thereof, be subject to a penalty
of a maximum fine of $2,000, imprisonment for not more than 90 days
or a period of community service for not more than 90 days, or any
combination thereof.
