The purpose of this article is to mitigate the
adverse effects of large cat colonies upon the quality of life in
the Town of Greenport. The Town Board of the Town of Greenport finds
that colonies of unidentified cats have caused damage to property
and have created nuisances within the Town. The purpose of this article
is to protect the health, safety and well-being of persons and property
by imposing restrictions on cats within the Town.
As used in this article, unless the context
or subject matter otherwise requires, the following terms shall have
the meanings indicated:
CAT
Any cat of either sex or of any age.
DOMESTICATED
Any cat kept in or about the residence of an owner which
is not vicious, dangerous or otherwise obnoxious, objectionable or
offensive.
OUTDOORS
Any unsecured portion of property in which a cat can move
or roam at will.
OWNER
Every person having a right of property in a cat and every
person who has a cat in his or her keeping or who harbors a cat, or
the adult member of a family in which a minor owner of a cat resides.
POUND
Any establishment, public or private, for the confinement
of cats seized either under the provisions of this chapter or otherwise.
The following regulations apply to all parcels
of land located in the Town of Greenport:
A. No cat shall be allowed outside the residence of its
owner at any time unless the cat wears a collar and tag, tattoo, microchip
or other reliable form of identification stating the name, address
and phone number of the owner.
B. No cat shall be allowed outside the residence of its
owner unless it has been vaccinated for rabies and feline leukemia,
nor unless it has been spayed or neutered.
C. No cat shall be fed outdoors unless the owner is present.
D. All cats, to the extent practicable, shall be restrained
to stay within the boundaries of the residential premises of their
owner.
A member of the Greenport Police Department,
or any agent or officer of a duly incorporated Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Animals is hereby authorized to seize, retain, and euthanize
any lost, strayed, homeless or abandoned cat found upon any public
or private property in the Town of Greenport pursuant to the procedure
delineated in §§ 373 and 374 of the Agriculture and
Markets Law of the State of New York.
Neither the Town of Greenport, its officers
or employees, the Greenport Police Department, the agents or officers
of a duly incorporated Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals,
nor the Town of Greenport Dog Control Officer, nor other persons or
agencies authorized to enforce the provisions of this article shall
be liable in damages or otherwise for the seizure, detention, adoption,
or euthanizing of any cat found in violation of any of the provisions
of this chapter.
Pursuant to § 22 of the Municipal
Home Rule of the State of New York, any provision of the Agriculture
and Markets Law of the State of New York which limits the authority
of the Town Board to enact the provisions of this chapter in effect
on the effective date of this chapter are hereby superseded to the
extent that such provisions are inconsistent herewith.
The violation of any provision of this article
shall constitute a violation punishable by a fine of not more than
$50 for a first offense; not more than $75 for a second offense; and
not more than $100 for the third and all subsequent offenses.