[Ord. 06-2013-583, 6/13/2013, § 201]
It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog, cat, cow, swine,
sheep, goat, or any other domestic animal owned by him or them to
allow or permit such animals to run at large in the Township.
[Ord. 06-2013-583, 6/13/2013, § 202]
It shall be the duty of the Animal Control Officer to seize
and detain any dog or cat which is found running at large, either
upon the public streets or highways of the Township or upon the property
of a person other than the owner of the dog, and unaccompanied by
the owner or keeper. Any police officer or Animal Control Officer
may seize any dog or cat found running at large in the Township. Such
dogs or cats are to be impounded at a facility contracted by the Township.
[Ord. 06-2013-583, 6/13/2013, § 203]
The Animal Control Officer or the Chief of Police or his agents
shall cause any dog bearing a proper license tag or permanent identification
and so seized and detained to be properly kept and fed at any licensed
kennel for those purposes and shall cause immediate notice, by personal
service or registered or certified mail with return receipt requested,
to the last known address, which shall be set forth on the license
application record, of the person in whose name the license was procured,
or his agent, to claim the dog within five days after receipt thereof.
The owner or claimant of a dog so detained shall pay a penalty of
$50 to the Township and all reasonable expenses incurred by reason
of its detention to the detaining parties before the dog is returned.
If five days after obtaining the postal return receipt, the dog has
not been claimed, the Animal Control Officer shall dispense of the
dog by sale or by giving it to a humane society or association for
the prevention of cruelty to animals.
[Ord. 06-2013-583, 6/13/2013, § 204]
Except as provided by the Dog Law, 3 P.S. § 459-305,
the Animal Control Officer shall cause any unlicensed dog to be seized,
detained, kept and fed for a period of 48 hours at any licenses kennel
approved for those purposes, except any dog seriously ill or injured
or forfeited with the owner's permission. The forty-eight-hour
period shall not include days the approved kennel is not open to the
general public. Any person may view the detained dogs during normal
business hours, Any unlicensed dogs remaining unclaimed after 48 hours
may be humanely killed or given to a humane society or association
for the prevention of cruelty to animals. No dog so caught and detained
shall be sold for the purpose of vivisection, or research, or be conveyed
in any manner for these purposes.
[Ord. 06-2013-583, 6/13/2013, § 205]
Dogs that, in the opinion of any police officer or Animal Control
Officer, constitute a threat to public health and welfare may be killed
by the police or Animal Control Officer.
[Ord. 06-2013-583, 6/13/2013, § 206]
1.
Any person may kill any dog which he sees in the act of pursuing
or wounding or killing any domestic animal, wounding or killing other
dogs, cats or household pets, or pursuing, wounding, or attacking
human beings whether or not such a dog bears the license tag required
by the provisions of the State Dog Law. There shall be no liability
on such person in damages or otherwise for such killing. The Animal
Control Officer may humanely kill any dog found running at large and
is deemed after due consideration by the Animal Control Officer to
constitute a threat to public health and welfare.
2.
The provisions of this section shall not apply to licensed dogs when
accompanied by their owner or handler, unless caught in the act of
pursuing, wounding, or killing any domestic animal, wounding or killing
any dogs, cats or household pets, or pursuing, wounding or attacking
human beings.
[Ord. 06-2013-583, 6/13/2013, § 207]
Any dog that enters any field or enclosure where domestic animals
are confined, provided that the enclosure is adequate for the purpose
intended, shall constitute a private nuisance, and the owner or tenant
of such field, or their agent or servant, may detain such dog and
turn it over to Township Police. While so detained, the dog will be
treated in a humane manner.
[Ord. 06-2013-583, 6/13/2013, § 208]
1.
The first two times a dog is seized, the owner shall pay a fee of
$50 to the Township as well as reasonable fees for keeping the animal
in a kennel.
2.
Any person allowing an animal to run at large in violation of this
Part may, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to pay a fine of not
more than $300 and/or to imprisonment for a term not to exceed 90
days.
