Borough of Longport, NJ Cat Licensing and Control

The agency or department of the Borough of Longport or any designated representative thereof charged with administering the issuance and/or revocation of permits and licenses under the provisions of this article.

NEUTERED

Rendered permanently incapable of reproduction as certified by a licensed veterinarian.

OWNER

When applied to the proprietorship of a cat, shall include every person having a right of property (or custody) in such cat and every person who has such cat in his or 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.

PERSON

Any individual, corporation, partnership, organization or institution commonly recognized by law as a unit.

§ 82-21 Provisions relating to rabies vaccination of cats.

Vaccination and license requirements. No person shall own, keep, harbor or maintain any cat within the Borough of Longport, unless such cat is vaccinated and licensed.

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.

Vaccination certificate. A certificate of vaccination shall be issued to the owner of each animal vaccinated on a form recommended by the state.

Exemptions. Any cat may be exempted from the requirements of such vaccination for a specified period of time by the County Board of Health, upon presentation of a veterinarian's certificate stating that, because of an infirmity or other physical condition, or regiment of therapy, the inoculation of such cat shall be deemed inadvisable.

§ 82-22 Licensing requirements.

Cats must have license number displayed. Any person who shall own, keep or harbor a cat of licensing age shall annually apply for and procure from the Clerk of the municipality, or other official designated by the governing body thereof to license cats in the municipality in which he or she resides, a license number, 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 not be limited to breakaway or elastic collars. License tags are not transferable. Cats without licenses attached shall be subject to capture and removal by the Borough of Longport and shall be subject to disposal procedure without notice.

Time for applying for license. The owner of any newly acquired cat of licensing age, or of any cat which attained licensing age, shall make application for a license tag for such cat within 10 days after such acquisition or age attainment.

Cats brought into the Borough of Longport.

(1)

Any person who shall bring or cause to be brought into the Borough of Longport any cat licensed in another state for the current year, and bearing registration tags, and shall keep the same or permit the same to be kept within the Borough of Longport for a period of more than 90 days shall immediately apply for a license and registration tag for each such cat.

(2)

Any person who shall bring or cause to be brought into the Borough of Longport any unlicensed cat, and shall keep the same or permit the same to be kept within the Borough of Longport for a period of more than 10 days, shall immediately apply for a license and registration tag for each such cat.

Application, contents, preservation of information. The application shall state the breed, sex, age, color and markings of the cat for which license and registration are sought, and whether it is of a long- or shorthaired 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 Clerk or other local official designated to license cats in the municipality.

License forms and tags. License forms and official tags shall be furnished by the municipality and shall be numbered serially, and shall bear the year of issuance and the name of the municipality.

Evidence of inoculation with rabies vaccine or certification of exemption; requirement for license. No Municipal Clerk or other official designated by the governing body of any municipality to license cats therein shall grant any such license and official registration tag 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 § 82-21D of 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.

License fee schedule. A license shall be issued after payment of a fee of $7.20 for each unneutered cat, and $4.20 for each neutered. 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 $25.

Fees, renewals, expiration date of license. The person applying for the license and registration tag shall pay the fee fixed or authorized. The fee for the renewal of a license and registration tag shall be the same as for the original, and said license, registration tag and renewal thereof shall expire on January 31 of the following year. Only one license and registration tag shall be required in the licensing year for any cat in the Borough of Longport.

Loss of license. If a license tag has been misplaced or lost, the Clerk may issue a duplicate license and/or registration for that particular cat at a fee of $3.

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.

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.

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 Borough of Longport and shall be placed in a special account separate from any of the other accounts of the Borough of Longport except for existing dog account, and shall be used for the following purposes only: collecting, keeping and disposing of cats or dogs liable to seizure, for local prevention and control of rabies and for administering the provisions of this article, including any dog ordinances. Any unexpended balance remaining in such special account shall be retained until the end of the fifth fiscal year following, and may be used for any of the purposes set forth in this section. At the end of said fifth fiscal year following, and at the end of each fiscal year thereafter, there shall be transferred from such special account to the general funds of the municipality any amount then in such account which is in excess of the total amount paid into the special account during the last three fiscal years next preceding.

§ 82-23 Violations and penalties.

Except as otherwise provided in this article, any person who violates, or who fails or refuses to comply with this article, shall be liable to a penalty of not less than $50 nor more than $200, for each offense, to be recovered by and in the name of the Borough of Longport.