[Adopted 3-9-2000 by L.L. No. 2-2000]
The purpose of this article is to mitigate the adverse effects of large cat colonies upon the quality of life in areas of concentrated human population within the Town of Copake.
As used in this article, unless the context or subject matter otherwise requires, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
AREAS OF CONCENTRATED HUMAN POPULATION
Any and all parcels of land in the Town of Copake which are less than one acre in size.
CAT
Any cat of either sex or of any age.
DOMESTICATED
Any cat kept in or about the residence of an owner which is not vicious, dangerous or otherwise obnoxious, objectionable or offensive.
HOMELESS OR ABANDONED
Any cat found outdoors which does not bear a form of identification required under § 85-13 hereafter.
OUTDOORS
Any unsecured portion of property in which a cat can move or roam at will.
OWNER
Every person having a right of property in a cat and every person who has a cat in his or her keeping or who harbors a cat, or the adult member of a family in which a minor owner of a cat resides.
POUND
Any establishment, public or private, for the confinement of cats seized either under the provisions of this article or otherwise.
The following regulations apply to all parcels of land located in the Town of Copake which are less than one acre in size as listed on the most current assessment roll for the Town of Copake:
A. 
No cat shall be allowed outside the residence of its owner at any time unless the cat wears a collar and tag, tattoo, microchip or other reliable form of identification stating the name, address and telephone number of the owner.
B. 
No cat shall be allowed outside the residence of its owner unless it has been vaccinated for rabies and feline leukemia, nor unless it has been spayed or neutered.
C. 
No cat shall be fed outdoors unless the owner is present.
D. 
All cats, to the extent practicable, shall be restrained to stay within the boundaries of the residential premises of their owner.
A. 
The members of the Copake Police Department, the Animal Control Officer of the Town of Copake, or any agent or officer of a duly incorporated Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is hereby authorized to seize and retain any lost, strayed, homeless or abandoned cat found upon any public or private property to which these regulations apply in the Town of Copake which is found to be in violation of any of the provisions of this article. No person administering the provisions of this article shall enter into a house, apartment, garage or other secure facility without the consent of the owner or the tenant of the premises unless a search warrant issued by a justice of the Town Court of the Town of Copake is first obtained.
B. 
Any cat so apprehended shall be retained by the town or a designated agency in a properly sheltered and secure place and shall be properly fed and watered for a period of seven days.
C. 
Within a period of seven days after the cat is apprehended, the owner may reclaim the cat upon reasonable proof of ownership to the person or agency having custody of the cat and upon payment to the Town of Copake of a fee in the amount of $25 plus $5 per day for each day or fraction thereof that the cat is held in custody, plus the reimbursement of all fees and expenses paid or incurred by the town for veterinary treatment rendered to the cat while in the custody of the town.
D. 
If the cat has not been claimed by the reputed owner within seven days after its apprehension, any person may adopt the cat upon payment to the town of a fee of $15 and the reimbursement of all fees and expenses paid or incurred by the town for veterinary treatment rendered to the cat while in the custody of the town.
E. 
If, after a further period of seven days, a cat has not been adopted or it appears to the satisfaction of the person or agency retaining a cat in custody that the cat is injured or diseased or is not domesticated, as defined above, the custodian shall deliver the cat to a person or animal-care facility with whom the custodian believes the cat will be properly cared for. If no facility is available, the custodian may allow the cat to be euthanized, or otherwise disposed of in a humane manner consistent with the provisions of § 374 of the Agriculture and Markets Law of the State of New York.
F. 
Neither the Town of Copake, its officers or employees, the Copake Police Department, the agents or officers of a duly incorporated Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, nor the Town of Copake Animal Control Officer, nor other persons or agencies authorized to enforce the provisions of this article shall be liable in damages or otherwise for the seizure, detention, adoption or euthanizing of any cat found in violation of any of the provisions of this article.
Pursuant to § 22 of the Municipal Home Rule of the State of New York, any provision of the Agriculture and Markets Law of the State of New York which limits the authority of the Town Board to enact the provisions of this article in effect on the effective date of this article are hereby superseded to the extent that such provisions are inconsistent herewith.
[Amended 7-12-2007 by L.L. No. 3-2007]
A. 
Any person, firm or corporation who is guilty of a violation of this article shall, upon conviction thereof, be subject to a fine of not more than $250 or imprisonment for a term of not more than 15 days, or both. Each day after notice that a violation continues shall be deemed a separate offense. In addition, a civil penalty of $100 per day may be assessed for any such violation, which civil penalty shall be recovered by the Town of Copake in a civil action.
B. 
Except as provided otherwise by law, such a violation shall not be a crime, and the penalty or punishment imposed therefor shall not be deemed for any purpose a penal or criminal penalty or punishment and shall not impose any disability upon or affect or impair the credibility as a witness, or otherwise, of any person found guilty of such an offense.
C. 
Appropriate actions and proceedings may be taken at law or in equity to prevent or remedy unlawful violations or infractions of any portion of this article, and these remedies shall be in addition to penalties otherwise prescribed by law.