[Adopted 9-25-1979 by Ord. No. O:79-37 (Ch. 15A, Art. I of the 1969 Code)]
It shall be unlawful to own, harbor or maintain a cat of more than six months of age unless the owner thereof or the person harboring or maintaining the same shall obtain and have a valid and subsisting license for such cat, and provided further that no person shall keep or have in his possession cats of licensing age of more than four in number. (See also § 172-36, Number of dogs and cats limited.)
[Amended 9-15-1981 by Ord. No. O:81-33; 9-6-1983 by Ord. No. O:83-16; 1-7-1986 by Ord. No. O:85-28; 11-4-1993 by Ord. No.
O:93-30]
B.
Persons over 65 years of age shall be entitled to
a reduction of $1 in the applicable fees.
C.
Anyone failing to secure a license after February
1 shall be required to pay an additional delinquent fee of $2 per
month, plus the regular license fee as required by this article. Cats
acquired after February 1 are not subject to this provision; however,
the owner must present sufficient proof to establish that said cat
was acquired after February 1.
[Amended 12-21-2010 by Ord. No. O:2010-18]
The Town Clerk, at the time of issuing such
license, shall register such cat as required by law. At the same time,
he shall furnish to the person procuring such license a certificate
thereof and also a metal tag with the number of the license stamped
thereon, which metal tag must be attached to a collar about the neck
of the cat at all times when the latter is at large.
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.
[Amended 11-20-2018 by Ord. No. O:2018-36]
The Town Council shall appoint an Animal Control Officer and
the duties shall be to enforce the provisions of this article.
[Amended 11-20-2018 by Ord. No.
O:2018-36]
A.
The Animal Control Officer shall take into custody and impound or
cause to be taken into custody and impounded, and thereafter destroyed
or offered for adoption as provided in this section:
(1)
Any cat off the premises of the owner or of the person keeping or
harboring said cat which said official or his agent or agents have
reason to believe is a stray cat;
(2)
Any cat off the premises of the owner or of the person keeping or
harboring said cat without a current registration tag on his collar;
(3)
Any female cat in season off the premises of the owner or of the
person keeping or harboring said cat;
(4)
Any cat or other animal which is suspected to be rabid;
(5)
Any cat or other animal off the premises of the owner 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.
B.
If any animal 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 animal 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 animal,
if known, a notice in writing stating that the animal has been seized
and will be liable to be offered for adoption or destroyed if not
claimed within seven days after the service of the notice.
C.
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.
D.
The Animal Control Officer may cause an animal to be destroyed in
a manner causing as little pain as possible and consistent with the
provisions of N.J.S.A. 4:22-19 or to be offered for adoption seven
days after seizure; provided that:
(1)
Notice is given as set forth above and the animal remains unclaimed;
or
(2)
The owner or person keeping or harboring the animal has not claimed
the animal and paid all expenses incurred by reason of its detention,
including maintenance costs not exceeding $25 per day; or
(3)
The owner or person keeping or harboring a cat which was unlicensed
at the time of seizure does not produce a license and registration
tag for the cat.
E.
At the time of adoption, the right of ownership in the animal shall
transfer to the new owner. No cat or other animal so caught and detained
or procured, obtained, sent or brought to a pound or shelter shall
be sold or otherwise made available for the purpose of experimentation.
Any person who sells or otherwise makes available any such cat or
other animal for the purpose of experimentation shall be guilty of
a crime of the fourth degree.
F.
After observation, any animal seized under this section suspected
of being rabid shall be immediately reported to the executive officer
of the Town and to the Department of Health and Senior Services.
[1]
Editor’s Note: Former § 172-44, Redemption; fees,
was repealed 11-20-2018 by Ord. No. O:2018-36.
All moneys which shall be received by the Town
Clerk pursuant to the provisions of this article forthwith shall be
paid to the Treasurer in the same manner as now is required to remit
other moneys.
Any person who hinders, molests or interferes with the Animal Control Officer in the discharge of his duties under the provisions of this article shall, upon conviction therefor, be punishable by the penalty provided by § 172-53.
None of the provisions of this article shall
be applicable to cats owned by nonresidents passing through the Town
nor to cats brought to the Town and entered for exhibition at any
cat show.
[1]
Editor’s Note: Former § 172-48, Violations by Animal
Control Officer; violations and penalties, was repealed 11-20-2018
by Ord. No. O:2018-36.
No person whose household has been quarantined
because a case of infectious or contagious disease exists therein
shall permit any cat owned or harbored by such person to run at large
during the period of such quarantine.
No person or persons harboring a cat suffering
from an infectious or contagious disease shall permit such cat to
run at large but shall have the cat forthwith treated by a veterinarian
and, if the disease is incurable, shall have the cat destroyed.
Any person who shall unlawfully remove a license
tag from the collar of any licensed cat without the consent of the
owner or legal custodian thereof shall be guilty of a violation.
[1]
Editor’s Note: Former § 172-52, Unclaimed cats,
was repealed 11-20-2018 by Ord. No. O:2018-36.
[Amended 6-5-1984 by Ord. No. O:84-18; 11-8-1995 by Ord. No. O:95-39; 11-20-2018 by Ord. No. O:2018-36]
Any person who violates or refuses to comply with any provision of this Article III shall be liable to a penalty of not more than $55 for each first offense and not exceeding $1,000 for each subsequent offense, to be recorded by and in the name of the Town.
