[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Health of the Borough of Edgewater as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Establishment of Board of Health — See Ch. 6, Art. I.
Animals — See Ch. 129.
Board of Health penalties — See Ch. 450, Art. II.
Pet shops, kennels, shelters and pounds — See Ch. 512.
[Adopted 1-14-1974 by Ord. No. 73-1 (Ch. 267 of the 1975 Code); amended in its entirety 3-14-1983 by Ord. No. 83-1]
[Amended 1-16-1989; 6-25-2001 by Ord. No. 2000-7]
It shall be unlawful to raise, keep, harbor or have in any manner whatsoever any live fowl, pig, cow, horse, beast of burden, sheep, goat or other cattle, or lion or tiger cub, cheetah or other undomesticated animal, within the Borough of Edgewater.
The provisions of this article shall not apply to those persons who are raising, keeping, harboring or in possession of any of the animals set forth in § 454-1 hereof on or before February 14, 1983; this exemption cannot be transferred or assigned. The number of animals may not be increased over and above the number existing on or before February 14, 1983. This exemption shall terminate upon removal from the premises of the person raising, keeping, harboring or possessing such animals.
Said persons, firms or corporations exempted from the provisions of this article, as set forth in § 454-2 above, shall raise, keep, harbor or possess the animals set forth in § 454-1 within an enclosure upon the premises owned, possessed or controlled by the persons, firms or corporations maintaining such animals. The enclosure shall be of such character as shall effectually prevent such animals from straying upon the streets, roads or avenues of the Borough and the premises in possession of persons, firms or corporations other than the keeper of such animals and shall be kept in a clean and sanitary condition, free from stench and vermin and in such manner as not to endanger the health and comfort of the citizens of the Borough. The premises where such animals are kept shall be open at all reasonable hours to inspection by the police or members of the Board of Health of the Borough of Edgewater to ascertain whether the provisions of this article are complied with.
This article shall be enforced by all personnel of the Board of Health, the Housing Officer and any other persons so designated by the Board of Health or the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Edgewater and shall take effect upon publication after final passage as provided by law.
Violations of the provisions of this article shall be punishable as provided in Chapter 450, Article II, General Penalty.
[1]
Editor's Note: Added at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
[Adopted 4-12-1993 by Ord. No. 93-1 (Ch. 268 of the 1975 Code)]
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ANIMAL
For the purpose of this article, "animal" shall mean cat.
ANIMAL CONTROL AUTHORITY
Any person or agency designated or certified by the State of New Jersey to enforce the provisions of this article.
CAT
Any member of the domestic feline species, male, female or altered.
CAT OF LICENSING AGE
Any cat which has attained the age of seven months or which possesses a set of permanent teeth.
CATTERY
Any room or group of rooms, cages or exhibition pen not part of a kennel, wherein cats for sale are kept or displayed.
LICENSING AUTHORITY
The agency or department of the Borough of Edgewater 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/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.
A. 
Vaccination and license requirements. No person shall own, keep, harbor or maintain any cat over seven months of age within the Borough of Edgewater 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 below. Vaccination must be good for the entire licensing period.
C. 
Vaccination certificate. A certificate of vaccination shall be issued to the owner of each animal vaccinated, on a form recommended by the state.
D. 
Exemption. Any cat may be exempted from the requirements of such vaccination for a specified period of time by the local Board of Health, upon presentation of a veterinarian's certificate stating that, because of any infirmity or other physical condition or regimen of therapy, the inoculation of such cats shall be deemed inadvisable.
A. 
Any person who shall own, keep or harbor a cat of licensing age shall, in the month of January, annually, apply for and procure from the Board of Health Secretary, or other official designated by the governing body thereof to license cats in the municipality in which he/she resides, 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.
B. 
The person applying for the license and registration tag for each cat shall do so at the office of the Board of Health. All licenses and registrations shall expire on the last day of January of each year. Any person applying for a license shall pay an annual fee as determined by the Board of Health and set forth in Code § 479-3. If a license for a cat is not renewed by March 1, a late charge of $10 will be added to the fee.
[Amended 9-23-2002 by Ord. No. 2002-2[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 450, General Provisions, Board of Health, Art. I).
C. 
No more than four cats of licensing age shall be kept, maintained or harbored at one time in any residential housing unit or on its grounds or in any business establishment or on its grounds. This restriction shall not apply to properly licensed pet shops, kennels, shelters and pounds.
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 as set forth in Chapter 450, Article II, General Penalty, to be recovered by and in the name of the local Board of Health or by and in the name of the municipality.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 450, General Provisions, Board of Health, Art. I)
This article shall be enforced by all personnel of the Board of Health, the Housing Officer and any other persons so designated by the Board of Health or the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Edgewater and shall take effect on January 1, 1994.
[Added 4-28-2003 by Ord. No. 2003-3]
A. 
Any person who shall bring or cause to be brought into the Borough any unlicensed cat and shall keep the same or permit the same to be kept within the Borough for a period of more than two weeks shall immediately apply for a license and registration tag for such cat.
B. 
The owner of any licensed cat shall notify the Borough if the licensed animal shall die, be sold or kept or harbored at a location other than the location at which it was originally licensed.