[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee
of the Township of East Amwell as indicated in article histories.
Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 11-8-1979 by Ord. No. 79-8]
A.
No person shall keep or harbor any dog within the
Township of East Amwell, in the County of Hunterdon, without first
obtaining a license to be issued by the Clerk's office of the Township
upon application of the owner and payment of the prescribed fee.
[Amended 12-27-2001 by Ord. No. 01-25]
B.
Any person who shall own, keep or harbor a dog of
licensing age shall in the month of January of each year apply for
and procure from the Clerk's office of the Township a license and
official metal registration tag for each dog so owned, kept or harbored,
and shall place upon each such dog a collar or harness with the registration
tag securely fastened thereto.
[Amended 9-13-2001 by Ord. No. 01-19; 12-27-2001 by Ord. No. 01-25]
C.
The person applying for the license and registration
tag shall pay a fee of $15.80, plus any charges required by the State
of New Jersey for each dog and for each annual renewal. Said license,
registration tags, and renewal thereof shall expire on the last day
of January in each year. For any license not renewed in the month
of January or February, there shall be an additional late fee of $25
per dog.[1]
[Amended 7-11-1991 by Ord. No. 91-07; 12-27-2001 by Ord. No. 01-25; 3-22-2007 by Ord. No. 07-06; 2-28-2008 by Ord. No. 08-03; 12-20-2018 by Ord. No. 18-22]
[1]
Editor's Note: Pursuant to Ord. No. 21-04, adopted 2-11-2021,
the governing body of the Township of East Amwell clarifies that the
dog licensing fee and late fee provided for in this section is a cumulative
fee, such that any residents who fail to register their dog in the
prior year(s) will be charged the prior year(s) fee as well as the
late fee(s).
D.
The owner of any newly acquired dog of licensing age or of any dog of licensing age or of any dog which attains licensing age shall make application for license and registration tag for such dog within 10 days after such acquisition or age attainment. The fee shall be as provided in Subsection C of this section.
[Amended 9-13-2001 by Ord. No. 01-19]
E.
No license and registration tag shall be issued without
proof that the dog has been inoculated against rabies in compliance
with this article by the Board of Health of the Township of East Amwell
prohibiting the keeping of dogs not inoculated against rabies, and
any amendments thereto, and shall have complied with the provisions
of N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.2a.
No person shall permit any dog owned, harbored,
possessed or controlled by him to run at large within the limits of
the Township of East Amwell, in the County of Hunterdon, at any time.
The term "run at large" shall mean and include the running or standing
of any dog on any street or other public place or any private property
where permission for the dog to be has not been granted, where the
dog is unattended, and not under the immediate control of some responsible
person able to control the dog.
No person shall permit any dog owned, harbored,
possessed or controlled by him to become an annoyance or interfere
with the comfort or general well being of the inhabitants of the Township
of East Amwell. Such annoyance or interference shall include, but
shall not be limited to, barking, crying, whining, howling, causing
injury to person or property, or creating a condition hazardous to
safety and health, and shall be deemed a public nuisance.
A.
Any dog found running at large or causing a public
nuisance may be seized and impounded by the Animal Control Officer
or other person appointed by the Township to enforce this article.
Any dog so seized and impounded may be reclaimed by the owner. If
not reclaimed within seven days by the owner, the dog may be destroyed.
The expense encountered in holding and keeping a dog, and if necessary,
destroying the dog, shall be paid by the owner of the dog.
B.
If any dog so seized wears a collar or harness having
inscribed thereon or attached thereto the name and address of any
person or a registration tag or the owner or the person keeping or
harboring said dog is known, any person authorized by the governing
body shall forthwith serve on the person whose address is given on
the collar, or on the owner or the person keeping or harboring said
dog, if known, a notice in writing stating that the dog has been seized
and will be liable to be disposed of or destroyed if not claimed within
seven days after the service of the notice. Any person so authorized
by the governing body shall further comply with all provisions of
N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.16.
C.
The Animal Control Officer or other person appointed
by the Township to enforce this article when in immediate pursuit
of a dog or dogs which he may lawfully seize or impound under the
provisions of this article or under the statutes of the State of New
Jersey is hereby authorized to go upon or into any premises but not
into an inhabited dwelling house without permission of the owner to
seize such dog or dogs for impounding. Any such entry shall not be
deemed trespassing, except that he may not go upon any premises if
the owner thereof or the owner's representative is present and forbids
him to do so.
A.
Whenever the Township Committee shall deem that the
public safety may so require, it may, by resolution, authorize the
Municipal Clerk to issue a proclamation authorizing the immediate
killing of any dogs found running at large within the limits of this
Township. No dog shall be killed until notice of the proclamation
aforesaid has been given at least once in a newspaper printed or circulating
in the Township.
B.
The Township Committee, by resolution, may appoint and fix the compensation of one or more persons to kill any dog or dogs running at large after the issuance of the proclamation as provided in Subsection A. Any such person or persons so appointed shall have full power and authority to immediately kill any dogs running at large.
No person, partnership or corporation shall
be issued a kennel license unless said person, partnership or corporation
is legally operating or maintaining a kennel as defined by N.J.S.A.
4:19-15.1. The annual license fee shall be the maximum fee permitted
by N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.9.
[Amended 9-13-2001 by Ord. No. 01-19]
Except as provided in N.J.S.A. 4:19-1 et seq.,
any person who shall violate this article or any person who shall
interfere, or obstruct, or attempt to obstruct the enforcement of
this article or any part thereof, shall, upon conviction of such violation
by any Judge of the County of Hunterdon be subject to one or more
of the following: a fine not to exceed $1,000, a term of imprisonment
of not to exceed 90 days, or a period of community service not to
exceed 90 days.
