[Adopted 12-12-1967 by Ord. No. 3-67 (Ch. 61, Art. I of the
1990 Code)]
Every person who shall own, keep or harbor a
dog which has obtained the age of seven months or which possesses
a set of permanent teeth shall obtain a license for each such dog
from the Collector of Dog Licenses.
[Amended 4-9-1974 by Ord. No. 1-74; 12-8-1980 by Ord. No
9-80; 11-14-1983 by Ord. No. 8-83; 3-12-1990 by Ord. No. 1-90]
The annual license fee for each dog shall be as provided in Chapter 171, Fees, together with any fees that may be required by the State of New Jersey to be collected by the Township. The license shall be obtained on or before January 31 of each year. Any dog owner or any person harboring a dog or found to have an unlicensed dog by the Township Animal Control Officer or any other Township official after March 1 shall be required to pay an additional delinquent fee as provided in Chapter 171, Fees, plus the required license fee, registration fee and fees required by the State of New Jersey.
[Amended 12-11-2023 by Ord. No. 14-2023]
Any person authorized by the Township Committee
to seize dogs or other animals shall take into custody and impound
or cause to be taken into custody and impounded:
A.
Any dog off the premises of the owner or of the person
keeping or harboring said dog, which said official or his agent has
reason to believe is a stray dog.
B.
Any dog off the premises of the owner or of the person
keeping or harboring said dog without a current registration tag on
its collar or elsewhere.
C.
Any female dog in season off the premises of the owner
or the person charged with the care of the dog.
D.
Any dog
or other animal which is suspected to be rabid.
E.
Any dog
or other animal off the premises of the owner or the person charged
with its care that is reported to, or observed by, a certified animal
control officer to be ill, injured, or creating a threat to public
health, safety, or welfare, or otherwise interfering with the enjoyment
of property.
F.
For the
purposes of this section, other animals shall include, but not be
limited to, cats.
A.
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 of the owner or the person keeping or
harboring said dog is known, any authorized person 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.
B.
A notice under this section may be served either by
delivering it to the person on whom it is to be served, or by leaving
it at the person's usual or last known place of abode, or at the address
given on the collar, or by forwarding it by post in a prepaid letter
addressed to that person at his usual or last known place of abode,
or to the address given on the collar.
[Amended 3-12-1990 by Ord. No. 1-90]
When any dog so seized has been detained for seven days after notice, when notice can be given as above set forth, or has been detained for seven days after seizure, when no notice has been given as above set forth, and if the owner or person keeping or harboring said dog has not claimed said dog and paid all expenses incurred by reason of its detention, including maintenance not exceeding an amount as provided in Chapter 171, Fees, and if the dog is unlicensed at the time of the seizure and the owner or person keeping or harboring said dog has not produced a license and registration tag for said dog, the aforesaid authorized person may cause the dog to be destroyed in a manner causing as little pain as possible.
[Amended 1-8-1974 by Ord. No. 14-73]
A.
No person shall suffer or permit any dog which he
owns, keeps or harbors to annoy neighbors and other persons living
within the immediate vicinity in the Township by barking and howling,
nor permit his dog to run at large upon the property of any other
persons in the Township nor upon any road or public place in the Township,
nor suffer or permit his dog to damage shrubbery, flowers, gardens,
poultry, domestic animals or any other property of any kind or character
belonging to any neighbor or other person in the Township. Violators
of this section may be proceeded against by complaint before the Judge
of the Harding Township Municipal Court.
[Amended 10-14-1986 by Ord. No. 10-86]
B.
Any dog which has on one or more occasions attacked
or bitten any person without provocation or which habitually attacks
other dogs, or domestic or wild animals, is hereby defined to be a
"vicious dog," for the purposes of this subsection. It shall be the
duty of the Police Department to receive and investigate complaints
against dogs, and when any dog complained against shall be deemed
by the Chief of the Police Department to be a vicious dog, as herein
defined, said officer shall cause the owner of or the persons harboring
such dog to be notified in writing of the complaint against such dog
and to appear before the Judge of the Harding Township Municipal Court
at a stated time and place and further advise the owner or person
harboring such dog to keep it under control at all times. The Judge,
at the time set for such hearing, shall inquire into the facts and
give all interested persons an opportunity to be heard under oath
and to be represented by counsel, and the Judge shall decide in accordance
with the evidence before him. If the Judge shall decide that such
dog complained of is a vicious dog, as defined by this subsection,
notice of such decision shall be given to the owner or person harboring
such dog. If the Judge shall decide that such dog complained of is
a vicious dog as defined by this subsection, then the Judge may, in
his discretion, order the Chief of Police or any official, police
officer or other person designated by him to cause the dog to be destroyed
in a manner causing as little pain as possible. In exercising his
discretion hereunder, the Judge shall take into consideration the
number and severity of a vicious dog's bites and attacks. No dog which
has been so determined to be a vicious dog shall be permitted to be
upon any road or public place in the Township except while securely
muzzled and under leash, as provided in this article, and the owner
or person harboring such vicious dog who shall suffer or permit such
dog to be upon any road or public place in said Township while not
securely muzzled and under leash shall be guilty of a violation of
this article.
No person, except an officer in the performance
of his duties, shall remove a registration tag from the collar of
any dog without the consent of the owner, nor shall any person attach
a registration tag to a dog for which it was not issued.
No person shall hinder, molest or interfere
with anyone authorized or empowered to perform any duty under this
article.
[Amended 8-16-2006 by Ord. No. 17-06]
Any person who violates or fails or refuses to comply with the provisions of this article shall be liable to a penalty as provided in § 1-3, General penalty, of the Code of the Township of Harding.
