[Adopted 11-12-1996 by Ord. No. 804-96]
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
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, not a
part of a kennel, wherein cats for sale are kept or displayed.
The agency or department of the Borough of Bloomsbury designated
by the Borough Council and charged with administering the issuance
and/or revocation of permits and licenses under the provisions of
this article.[1]
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.
Any individual, corporation, partnership, organization, or
institution, commonly recognized by law as a unit.
Rendered permanently incapable of reproduction as certified
by a licensed veterinarian.
A.
Vaccination and license requirements. No person shall own, keep,
harbor, or maintain any cat over seven months of age within the Borough
of Bloomsbury 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, 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.[1]
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.[2]
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.
Exemptions. 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 an infirmity or other physical condition, or regimen of
therapy, the inoculation of such cat shall be deemed inadvisable.
Said cat or cats must be kept indoors.
A.
License required; late charge.
[Amended 12-22-2009 by Ord. No. 110-09]
(1)
Any
person who shall own, keep or harbor any cat shall, in the month of
January of each year, apply for and procure from the licensing official
a license and official metal registration tag for each such cat so
owned, kept or harbored and shall place upon each cat a collar with
a registration tag securely fastened thereto.
(2)
The
owner of any newly acquired cat of licensing age of seven months old
shall make application for a license and registration tag for such
cat within 10 days after such acquisition or age attainment.
B.
Cats brought into jurisdiction.[2]
(1)
Any person who shall bring or cause to be brought into the Borough
of Bloomsbury a licensed cat for a period of more than 30 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 Bloomsbury any unlicensed cat and shall keep the same or permit
the same to be kept within the Borough of Bloomsbury for a period
of more than 30 days shall immediately apply for a license and registration
tag for each such cat.
C.
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 short-haired variety, and also the name and 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.
E.
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 to 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 Human Services or has been certified exempt as provided by § 63-11 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.[4]
F.
License fee schedule. The annual license fee shall be $8 for each
cat which is spayed or neutered and $11 for each cat which is nonspayed
or nonneutered.
[Amended 12-22-2009 by Ord. No. 110-09]
G.
Fees; renewals; expiration date of license. License from another
municipality shall be accepted. The person applying for the license
and registration tag shall pay the fee fixed or authorized. The fee
for the renewal of the license and registration tag shall be the same
as for the original, and said license, registration tag and renewal
thereof shall expire on the last day of January each year and shall
be renewed annually.[5]
H.
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.
I.
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 a special
account separate from any of the other accounts of the municipality
and shall be used for the following purposes only: for collecting,
keeping, and disposing of cats liable to seizure, for local prevention
and control of rabies, for providing anti-rabies treatment under the
direction of the local Board of Health for any person known or suspected
to have been exposed to rabies, and for administering the provisions
of this article. Any unexpended balance remaining in such special
account shall be retained until the end of the third fiscal year following
and may be used for any of the purposes set forth in this subsection.
At the end of said third 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 two fiscal years next preceding.[6]
A.
Any cat found running at large without a license may be impounded
by the Animal Control Officer. Any cat which has been alleged to have
bitten or scratched any person may be impounded for purposes of observation
as to rabies. Such officer may go upon private property (but not into
an inhabited building without consent of the occupant thereof) to
so impound such cat.
B.
Any cat impounded for running at large without a license may, after
notice to the owner thereof (if known), be impounded for seven days.
If the cat is not reclaimed within that time by the owner, the cat
may be destroyed or offered for adoption. No cat so impounded shall
be returned to its owner unless proof can be shown that it has a current
rabies shot.[1]
No person shall hinder, molest, or interfere with anyone authorized
or empowered to perform any duty under this article.
B.
The Animal Control Officer of the Borough of Bloomsbury or any person
authorized by the Borough of Bloomsbury shall have the power to sign
a complaint in the Municipal Court against any person alleged to have
violated any of the provisions of this article, and any fines levied
and collected by said Municipal Judge shall be paid to the Treasurer
of the Borough of Bloomsbury. All fines paid to the Treasurer of the
Borough of Bloomsbury as aforesaid shall be deposited in the special
account as described above.
