[Adopted 5-28-1974 by Ord. No. 628 (Ch. 31, Art. II of the 1966 Code)]
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Editor's Note: This article was originally adopted by the Board of Health of the Borough of Emerson 7-10-1939 by Ord. No. 262. See also Ch. 291, Art. I.
All dogs and all other animals owned, boarded, kept or found within the Borough of Emerson, 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 Borough, 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 Board of Health of the Borough of Emerson, the terms used herein are hereby defined to mean and to include:
ANIMALS and OTHER ANIMALS
Applies to and includes cats, foxes, squirrels, goats and other such quadrupeds.
BOARD
The Board of Health of the Borough of Emerson and the executive health officer thereof, when in the performance of his official duty.
CONFINED
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.
DOGS
Any breed of such animal, any age and any sex, regardless of its having been desexed.
INDIGENT PERSON
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.
KENNEL
Any place, enclosure, building or collection of buildings or doghouses in which more than one dog is kept, boarded, reared or housed, for whatever purpose, and shall apply also to the dogs kept therein.
LEASH
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.
MUZZLE
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.
OBSERVATION PERIOD
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.
OWNER
Includes the actual owner, the person in charge or the person in control of any dog or other animal.
QUARANTINE PERIOD
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.
SECURELY CONFINED
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.
STRAY DOG or STRAY 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 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.
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 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.
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Editor’s Note: See also Ch. 291, Art. I.
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 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.
C. 
When a veterinarian is in attendance of any animal which has been attacked or bitten by a dog or other animal, a report shall be made by him as required in § 140-18C and D and § 140-19A and B.
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Editor’s Note: See also Ch. 291, Art. I.
A. 
Upon receipt of a notice as stated in §§ 140-18 and 140-19 above, the Board 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 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 observation.
B. 
Upon receipt of a notice of injury from the bite of a stray dog or other animal, the Board 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 full period of quarantine as stated in § 140-17; provided, however, that where a six months' quarantine cannot be properly maintained, the Board may order such animal destroyed or removed to a place designated by the Board for the required period, at the expense of the owner thereof.
C. 
No person shall kill or remove from confinement or secure confinement, or lead on a leash, any animal which has been ordered confined as required by Subsections A and/or B above.
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Editor’s Note: See also Ch. 291, Art. I.
A. 
When an animal shows signs of rabies, either of the furious or paralytic (dumb) type, the Board shall, at once, order such animal removed at the expense of the Borough of Emerson, 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, at the expense of the Borough of Emerson, to any indigent person within the Borough 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.
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Editor's Note: Former § 140-22 of the 2003 Code, Vicious dogs, was repealed at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
A. 
The executive health officer of the Board 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 he 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.
[Amended 2-18-2003 by Ord. No. 1218]
Any person who shall violate any provision of this article or the provisions of any notice served upon him by the Board or its executive health officer shall be liable to a fine of not more than $500 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 Borough of Emerson relating to the registration, licensing and confinement of dogs in general within said Borough.