For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms, phrases, words
and their derivations shall have the meaning given herein:
ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER
Any person or agency designated by the Mayor and Council of the Borough
of Rutherford or authorized by law to enforce the provisions of this chapter.
CAT
Any member of the domestic feline species, male, female or neutered.
CAT OF LICENSING AGE
Any cat which has attained the age of four months or which possesses
a set of permanent teeth.
LICENSING AUTHORITY
The Police Department of the Borough of Rutherford or any persons
designated by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Rutherford who shall
be charged with administering the issuance and revocation of permits and licenses
under the provisions of this chapter.
NEUTERED
Rendered permanently incapable of reproduction as certified by a
licensed veterinarian.
OWNER
When applied to the proprietorship of a cat, includes every person
having a right of property or custody in such cat and every person who has
such cat in his or her keeping or who harbors or maintains a cat or knowingly
permits a cat to remain on or about any premises occupied by that person.
PERSON
Any individual, corporation, partnership, organization or institution
commonly recognized by law as a unit.
VACCINATION
Inoculation against rabies performed by a licensed veterinarian,
or such other person permitted by law to do the same under the supervision
of a veterinarian, in accordance with the latest Compendium of Animal Rabies
Vaccines and Recommendation for Immunization published by the National Association
of State Public Health Veterinarians.
VETERINARIAN
Any person licensed to practice veterinary medicine by any state
of the United States.
[Amended 9-14-2004 by Ord. No. 3062-04]
The applicants shall pay an annual fee of $7 per year for a license
for each neutered and nonneutered cat owned, kept or harbored. If a license
tag is misplaced or lost, the Police Department may issue a duplicate license
for that particular cat for a fee of $6. The fees shall not be apportioned
pro rata.
Management of domestic animals known or suspected to have been bitten
by a known or suspected rabid animal of unknown origin shall be quarantined
in accordance with Title 26 of the New Jersey Statutes Annotated. The owner
of a cat evidencing a change in disposition or illness suggesting it may be
rabid may be required to have such cat examined by an approved veterinarian.
Any cost incurred in quarantining such cat or for the veterinary service examination
shall be paid for by the owner or harborer of such cat or cats.
License fees and other moneys collected or received under the provisions
of this chapter shall be forwarded to the Borough Treasurer and shall be placed
in a special account separate from any of the other accounts of the Borough
and shall be used for the purposes provided by law.
The Chief of Police of the Borough shall annually, during the months
of July and August, cause a canvass of all cats owned, kept or harbored within
the limits of the Borough and shall report to the Borough Clerk. Borough of
Rutherford Department of Health and, if required by law, to the State Department
of Health the result thereof, setting forth the names and addresses of persons
owning, keeping or harboring such cats; the number of licensed cats owned,
kept or harbored by each of said persons, together with the license numbers
of said cats; and also setting forth the names and addresses of persons owning,
keeping or harboring unlicensed cats, the number of unlicensed cats owned,
kept or harbored by each said person, together with a complete description
of each unlicensed cat.
The Borough Clerk shall publish a notice reminding cat owners to make
application for said cat license during the month in which cat licenses expire.
Any person found guilty of violating any provision of this chapter shall,
upon conviction, be punished by a fine not to exceed the sum
of $25 for each offense.