[Adopted 4-24-1942 (Ch. 25, Art. II, of the 1967 Code);
amended in its entirety 10-14-2008 by Ord. No. 201-2008]
All dogs and all other animals owned, boarded,
kept or found within the Township of River Vale, in the County of
Bergen and State of New Jersey, and all dogs and other animals transported
or lead through or exercised upon any highway or thoroughfare of said
Township, and all persons, whether the owner or temporarily in charge
of such animals, shall be subject to the provisions of this article.
For the purpose of correct interpretation in
the enforcement of this article and the rules and regulations of the
Health Department of the Township of River Vale, the terms used herein
are hereby defined to mean and to include:
Applies to and includes cats, foxes, squirrels, goats and
other such quadrupeds.
The Health Department of the Township of River Vale and the
Executive Health Officer thereof, when in the performance of his official
duty.
Includes any means whereby a dog or other animal is kept
upon the premises of its owner or caretaker, and thereby is prevented
from straying upon a road or any place or other property, public or
private.
Any breed of such animal, any age and any sex, regardless
of its having been desexed.
One who is unable to maintain himself or the members of his
family lawfully dependent upon him for support; or one who is ordinarily
able to maintain himself and/or his family, but because of his illness
or the illness of some member of his family or for any other reason
is or becomes unable to do so.
Any place, enclosure, building or collection of buildings
or dog houses in which more than one dog is kept, boarded, reared
or housed, for whatever purpose, and shall apply also to the dogs
kept therein.
A strong leather strap or a metal chain, which shall not
exceed six feet in length; such leash to be used when exercising,
leading or transporting a dog.
A mechanical device of the humane "basket" type, which shall
prevent a dog from biting. No muzzles shall be used except those approved
by the Board.
A period of isolation by secure confinement of not less than
10 days after such dog or other animal has attacked and bitten a person,
dog or other animal.
Includes the actual owner, the person in charge or the person
in control of any dog or other animal.
Periods of confinement, which for dogs shall be not less
than 14 days nor more than six months and for other animals shall
be not less than 14 days nor more than 60 days, which period shall
begin with the day such animal has been bitten.
Isolating a dog or other animal within an enclosure or building
in such a manner that such animal cannot come, directly or indirectly,
in contact with nor bite a person, dog or other animal, nor can it
be bitten by any other animal.
Any dog or other animal that is not confined but is found
roaming upon any property other than that of its owner, or which has
broken away from the control of a leash.
A.
Adults. It shall be the duty of every adult person
who has been bitten by a dog or other animal, the owner of which is
known, to report to the Board or the Police Department within 12 hours
the name, age, sex, color and precise address of the person so bitten
and also the name and address of the owner of the dog or other animal
which has bitten such person, in addition to such other information
as may be required by the Board and/or the Police Department.
B.
Minors. If any child has been so attacked and bitten,
then the parent or person in charge of such child and the minor shall
report as required in the preceding section.
C.
Physicians. Every physician shall, within 12 hours
after his first professional attendance upon any person bitten, report
to the Board or the Police Department the name, age, sex, color and
precise address of the person or child that has been so bitten, with
full particulars of the case, and, if known, the name and address
of the owner of the dog or other animal.
D.
Should any person have been bitten or attacked by a stray dog or other animal, then the persons enumerated in Subsections A, B and C of this section shall include in their report, if possible, a description of the stray animal and the place where the attack occurred and such other particulars of the attack as from whence the animal came and the direction in which it went.
A.
The owner of every dog or other animal that has been
bitten by any dog or other animal, the owner of which is known, shall
at once report to the Board or the Police Department the name and
address of the owner of both dogs or other animals.
B.
The owner of a dog or other animal that has been bitten
by a stray dog or other animal shall, in addition to the report as
required as in the preceding subsection, give a description of the
stray dog or other animal and the location or direction from which
it came and to which it went.
A.
Any person owning or having possession or control
of a dog or other animal that has bitten a person, dog or other animal
must within 10 days after the attack (or immediately at the request
of the Police Department or Board) provide for the examination and
observation of such animal by a licensed veterinarian of the State
of New Jersey. Said veterinarian shall immediately report his finding
the Board or Police Department by telephone and shall confirm such
report in writing within 24 hours.
B.
Unless an animal is rabid or suspected to be rabid,
the veterinarian shall release the animal to the person from whom
it was received. Upon taking possession of the animal, the owner or
person having possession must securely confine the animal for the
observation period.
C.
Upon receipt of a notice as stated in §§ 61-9 and 61-10 above, the Board or the Police Department shall at once serve upon the owner of the dog or other animal injured a notice in writing to quarantine such dog or other animal. The Board or Police Department shall also serve upon the owner of the dog or other animal that has bitten a person, dog or other animal a notice, in writing, to securely confine such dog or other animal for the observation period.
D.
Upon receipt of a notice of injury from the bite of
a stray dog or other animal, the Board or Police Department shall
serve a notice in writing upon the owner of the dog or other animal
bitten by a stray dog, if known, to securely confine such animal for
a quarantine period as determined by the Board or Police Department;
provided, however, that in the event a six-month quarantine is determined
appropriate but such six months' quarantine cannot be properly maintained,
the Board or Police Department may order such animal destroyed or
removed to a place designated by the Board or Police Department for
the required period, at the expense of the owner thereof.
A.
When an animal shows signs of rabies, either of the
furious or paralytic (dumb) type, the Board or Police Department shall,
at once, order such animal removed, and upon the death of such animal
shall have its head removed for examination at the Bergen County Laboratory.
B.
The result of the laboratory examination shall, at
once, be forwarded to the owner of the rabid animal, to the owner
of the animal attacked and bitten by such rabid animal, to the person
or to the parent, in case of a minor bitten by such rabid animal,
and to the physician or veterinarian in attendance.
C.
The Board may, at once, furnish Pasteur treatment,
to any indigent person within the Township who has been bitten by
an animal known or suspected to be affected by rabies; provided, however,
that where dangerous wounds have been inflicted, Pasteur treatment
may be ordered before the final result of the laboratory examination
is known.
D.
When a dog or other animal has died of rabies, then
all equipment, such as bedding, coop, kennel, pen or run, of said
animal shall be destroyed or disinfected at the order of and under
supervision of the Executive Health Officer of the Board.
A.
Any dog or other animal that has attacked and bitten
a person or persons on more than one occasion is hereby declared to
be a vicious animal and dangerous to the life of the inhabitants of
the Township of River Vale and may be ordered by the Board or Police
Department to be securely confined, and such owner or person in possession
or control of such animal shall so securely confine it.
B.
If the order of this Board or Police Department is
not complied with, in addition to the penalty herein provided, the
Board or Police Department may order such animal removed or destroyed.
A.
The Executive Health Officer of the Board and the
Police Department each shall have the right of full and unobstructed
access, ingress, egress and regress to and from all public or private
property or premises, to the end that they may freely examine and
observe any animal coming within the terms of any law of this state
or of this article as often, during reasonable hours and during the
period of quarantine and observation, as may be necessary for the
purpose of determining the condition of such animal.
B.
No person shall, directly or indirectly, obstruct
or interfere with said Health Executive in the enforcement of this
article or refuse to furnish him with any and all information required.
All orders and directions in such connection which may be given by
said Executive Health Officer shall be considered as having been given
by the Board itself.
No dog shall be permitted to run at large off
the premises of the owner or persons in charge of the dog. No dog
shall be walked on the public streets or public places in the Township
except other than when the dog is securely tethered by a leash not
to exceed six feet in length and is under supervision or control of
a person able to control said dog at all times.
Any person who shall violate any provision of
this article or the provisions of any notice served upon him by the
Board, its Executive Health Officer or the Police Department shall
be liable to a fine of not more than $150 for a first violation, $350
for a second violation or $500 for any subsequent violations or imprisonment
for not more than 90 days, or both.
Nothing in this article shall be construed to
change or affect the provisions of any ordinance passed by the Mayor
and Council of the Township of River Vale relating to the registration,
licensing and confinement of dogs in general within said Township.
