Any person who shall bring or cause to be brought into the Township any dog, licensed in another state for the current year, bearing a registration tag, and shall keep the same or permit the same to be kept within the Township for a period of more than 90 days, shall immediately apply for a license and registration for each dog, unless such dog shall be licensed under §
62-9 of this article.
No person, except an officer in the performance
of his duties, shall remove a registration tag from the collar of
any dog without the consent of the owner, nor shall any person attach
a registration tag to a dog for which it was not issued.
[Amended 6-2-1997; 3-20-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-2]
The Animal Control Officer of the Township shall
promptly, after September 1, 2007, and biennially thereafter, as permitted
by N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.5, cause a canvass to be made of all dogs owned,
kept or harbored within the limits of the Township and shall report
to the Township and to the State Department of Health the result thereof,
by setting forth in separate columns the names and addresses of persons
owning, keeping or harboring dogs, the number of licensed dogs owned,
kept or harbored by each of said persons, together with the registration
numbers of each of said dogs, the number of unlicensed dogs owned,
kept or harbored by each of said persons, together with a complete
description of each of said unlicensed dogs.
[Amended 6-2-1997; 3-20-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-2]
The Animal Control Officer of the Township shall
take any dog as set forth in N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.16 into custody and
impound it or cause it to be taken into custody and impounded and
thereafter destroyed or offered for adoption as provided in N.J.S.A.
4:19-15.16. The Township Dog Licensing Clerk shall not allow the release
of any dog from impoundment until proof of licensing is provided.
Any officer or agent authorized or empowered
to perform any duty under this article is hereby authorized to go
upon any premises to seize for impounding any dog or dogs which he/she
may lawfully seize and impound when such officer is in immediate pursuit
of such dog or dogs, except upon the premises of the owner of the
dog if said owner is present and forbids the same.
No person shall hinder, molest or interfere
with anyone authorized or empowered to perform any duty under this
article.
No person owning, keeping or harboring any dog
shall suffer or permit it to run at large within the Township; provided,
however. that this section shall not apply to hunting dogs while they
are in the woods and fields of the Township and are under the dominion
and control of the owners.
No person owning, keeping or harboring any dog
shall suffer it to be upon the public streets or in any of the public
places of the Township of Chester unless such dog is securely confined
and controlled by an adequate leash not more than six feet long.
No person owning, keeping or harboring any dog
shall permit or suffer it to do any injury to any person, or to do
any damage to any lawn, shrubbery, flowers, grounds or property.
No person shall keep, harbor or maintain any
dog which habitually barks, howls or cries. The habitual barking,
howling or crying of a dog or dogs is hereby declared to be a disturbing
noise and is further declared to be a nuisance.
[Amended 6-2-1997; 1-20-2004; 3-20-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-2]
Any person who violates or fails or refuses to comply with §§
62-4 through
62-17 of this article shall be liable to a penalty of not less than $34 nor more than $1,000, imprisonment for a period not to exceed 90 days or a period of community service not to exceed 90 days, for each offense, to be recovered by and in the name of the Township of Chester. The animal's owner or the person to whom the owner has entrusted the animal's care shall be responsible for complying with and being subject to this article.