[Adopted 11-2-1987 by Ord. No. 14-1987]
A. 
It is an objective of this article to protect the public and animals from the spread of rabies to animals and humans.
B. 
It is an objective of this article to protect the public from animal-related nuisances and threats to public health, safety and welfare.
C. 
It has been determined that these objectives can be fostered by assuring that animal owners meet responsibility for the control and care of their cats.
The words hereinafter defined shall have the meanings herein indicated for the purposes of this article as follows:
ANIMAL
For the purpose of this article, animal shall mean dog or 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, cage or exhibition pen, not part of a kennel, wherein cats for sale are kept or displayed.
LICENSING AUTHORITY
The Clerk of the Township of Delanco 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 or 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 licensing requirements. No person shall own, keep, harbor or maintain any cat over seven months of age within the Township of Delanco, 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.
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.
A. 
Cats must have license number displayed. Any person who shall own, keep or harbor a cat of licensing age shall annually apply for and produce from the Clerk of the municipality, or other official designated by the governing body thereof to license cats in the municipality in which he or 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 or displayed thereto. Acceptable methods of displaying license number shall include but are not limited to breakaway or elastic collars. License tags or sleeves are not transferable.
B. 
Time for applying for license. The owner of any newly acquired cat of licensing age, or of any cat which attains licensing age, shall make application for a license tag or sleeve for such cat within ten days after such acquisition or age attainment. This requirement will not apply to a nonresident keeping a cat within the Township of Delanco for no longer than 90 days.
C. 
Cats brought into jurisdiction. Any person who shall bring or cause to be brought into the Township of Delanco any cat licensed in another state for the current year, and bearing registration tag or sleeve, and shall keep the same or permit the same to be kept within the Township of Delanco for a period of more than ten days, shall immediately apply for a license and registration tag or sleeve for each such cat.
D. 
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; also the name, 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. 
License forms and tags. License forms and official tags or sleeves shall be furnished by the municipality and shall be numbered serially, and shall bear the year of issuance and the name of the municipality.
F. 
Evidence of inoculation with rabies vaccine or certification of exemption. 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 or sleeve for 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 § 123-19 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.
G. 
License fee schedule. A license shall be issued after payment of a fee of $15 for each unneutered cat, and $12 for each neutered cat. Persons who fail to obtain a license as required within the time period specified in this section will be subject to a delinquent fee of $3 per month.
[Amended 12-21-1998 by Ord. No. 17-1998; 12-17-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-14]
H. 
Fees; renewals; expiration date of license.
(1) 
License from another municipality shall be accepted. The person applying for the license and registration tag and/or sleeve shall pay the fee fixed or authorized. The fee for the renewal of license and registration tag or sleeve shall be in the same as for the original, and said license, registration tag or sleeve and renewal thereof shall expire on January 31 in the following year.
(2) 
Only one license and registration tag or sleeve shall be required in the licensing year for any cat in the Township of Delanco. Any valid New Jersey license tag or sleeve issued by a New Jersey municipality shall be accepted by this municipality as evidence of compliance.
I. 
Loss of license. If a license tag or sleeve has been misplaced or lost, the Township Clerk may issue a duplicate license and/or registration sleeve for that particular cat at a fee of $1.
J. 
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.
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: collecting, keeping and disposing of cats liable to seizure, for local prevention and control of rabies, 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 unexpected balance remaining in such special account shall be retained until the end of the third fiscal year following, and may be used for any purposes set forth in this section. At the end of the 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.
[Amended 10-21-2024 by Ord. No. 2024-24]
A. 
There shall be a limitation of not more than four cats per household. Further, the total number of dogs and cats combined shall not exceed four per household. No license shall be granted to any applicant in violation of this section at the time of passage hereof.
B. 
It shall be unlawful for any person or corporation owning, keeping, harboring or housing the custody or possession of any cat, whether registered or not, to permit such cat at any time to be in or upon any public street, avenue, road or highway or upon any public place or place to which the general public is invited, or to permit such cat at any time to run at large in said township, unless such cat shall be led by a chain, cord, thong or other leash (not more than six feet long) in the hands of a person capable of leading and controlling such cat or shall be securely confined in an automobile or other vehicle.
C. 
It shall be unlawful to permit such cat to be in or upon any private property or premises belonging to another person without the express and prior authority of such person.
D. 
No one shall permit or suffer such cat to do any injury or to do any damage to any lawn, shrubbery, flowers, grounds or property.
[Amended 1-19-1998 by Ord. No. 1-1998]
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 provided in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article II, General Penalty, for each offense, to be recovered by and in the name of the local Board of Health, or by and in the name of the municipality.