As used in this Article, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
ABANDONED CAT
A cat of any age which is left unattended and at large for
a period of 72 hours or more.
ANIMAL CONTROL AUTHORITY
Any person or agency certified by the State of New Jersey
and designated by the Town of Dover to enforce the provisions of this
Article.
CAT
Any member of the feline species regardless of age or sex.
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 a
part of a kennel, wherein cats for sale are kept or displayed.
LICENSING AUTHORITY
The Town Clerk or other official designated by the Town Aldermen
to administer the issuance of licenses under the provisions of this
Article.
NEUTERED
Rendered permanently incapable of reproduction as certified
by a licensed veterinarian.
PUBLIC NUISANCE
A cat that damages either public or private property or harms
the lawful users or occupants thereof.
STRAY CAT
A cat having no known owner, custodian, identification or
known place of care or shelter.
No person shall own, keep, harbor or maintain
any cat over seven months of age within the Town of Dover 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 state or federally
licensed research facilities 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.
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 §
113-49.
A certificate of vaccination shall be issued
to the owner of each cat vaccinated on a form recommended by the state.
Any cat may be exempted from the requirements
of such vaccination for a specified period of time by the animal control
authority, 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.
[Amended 12-15-2008 by Ord. No. 35-2008]
A. A license shall be issued after payment of a fee of
$14.80 for the license and the sum of $1.20 for the registration tag
of each neutered/spayed cat for the first year and every year thereafter.
A surcharge of $3 will be imposed on any license and registration
tag for which proof of spay/neutered cannot be provided. Said licenses,
registration tags and renewals thereof shall expire on the last day
of February in each year. In connection with the issuance of a renewal
license, a penalty charge of $10 shall be charged for the first thirty-day
period after the last day of February of each year that said renewal
license is not obtained, and $1 for each first thirty-day period after
April. The fee for a replacement license and registration tag shall
be $2.
B. Fees; renewals; expiration date of license. 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 a license
and registration tag or sleeve shall be the same as for the original,
and said license, registration tag or sleeve and renewal thereof shall
expire on the last day of February in each year.
Proof of licensing shall be produced by any
person owning, keeping, maintaining or harboring a cat upon request
of any health official or other authorized person.
No person shall hinder, molest or interfere
with anyone authorized or empowered to perform any duty under this
Article.
License fees and other moneys collected or received
under the provisions of this Article as they pertain to cat licensing
shall be forwarded to the Treasurer of the Town of Dover 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 set
forth in this section. 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.
[Added 5-28-1996 by Ord. No. 19-1996; amended 5-11-2010 by Ord. No. 4-2010]
Any person who violates or who fails or refuses to comply with §§
113-46,
113-47,
113-50, or
113-51 of this chapter or the rules and regulations promulgated by the State Department of Health and Senior Services shall be subject to a penalty of not more than $25 for the first offense; $50 for the second offense; and for a third or subsequent offense, a penalty of $100. A third or subsequent offense will require a mandatory court appearance.
[Added 11-26-1996 by Ord. No. 42-1996]
A. No person owning, keeping or harboring any cat, either
licensed or unlicensed, shall suffer, permit or allow it to run at
large off the premises of the owner.
B. Any person violating the provisions of this section
shall be subject to a penalty of not more than $25 for the first offense;
$50 for the second offense; and for a third or subsequent offense,
a penalty of $100. A third or subsequent offense will require a mandatory
court appearance.