[Adopted 9-13-1994 by Ord. No. 94-14]
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
CAT
Any member of the domestic feline species, male, female or altered.
CAT OF LICENSING AGE
Any cat which has attained the age of seven months or which possesses a set of permanent teeth.
CATTERY
Any room or group of rooms, cage or exhibition pen, not a part of a kennel, wherein cats for sale are kept or displayed.
LICENSING AUTHORITY
The agency or department of the Town of Clinton designated by the Town Council and charged with administering the issuance and/or revocation of permits and licenses under the provisions of this article.
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/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.
A. 
Vaccination and license requirements. No person shall own, keep, harbor or maintain any cat over seven months of age within the Town of Clinton, unless such cat is vaccinated and licensed. The provisions of this section do not apply to cats held in a cattery or those held by a state or federal licensed research facility, a veterinary establishment where cats are received or kept for diagnostic, medical, surgical or other treatments or licenses, animal shelters, pounds, kennels or pet shops.
B. 
Vaccination. All cats shall be vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian in accordance with the latest Compendium of Animal Rabies Vaccines and Recommendations for Immunization published by the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, except as provided for in Subsection D.
C. 
Vaccination certificate. A certificate of vaccination shall be issued to the owner of each animal vaccinated on a form recommended by the state.
D. 
Exemptions. Any cat may be exempted from the requirements of such vaccination for a specified period of time by the licensing authority, upon presentation of a veterinarian's certificate stating that, because of an infirmity or other physical condition or regimen of therapy, the inoculation of such cat shall be deemed inadvisable. Said cat or cats must be kept indoors.
A. 
Tag required. Any person who shall own, keep or harbor a cat of licensing age shall annually apply for and procure from the Clerk of the municipality or other official designated by the governing body thereof to license cats in the municipality in which he/she resides a license and official registration tag with license number for each cat so owned, kept or harbored. License tags are not transferable.
B. 
Time for applying for license. The owner of any newly acquired cat of licensing age or of any cat which attains licensing age shall make application for license tag for such cat within 10 days after such acquisition or age attainment. This requirement will not apply to a nonresident keeping a cat within the Town of Clinton for no longer than 30 days.
C. 
Cats brought into jurisdiction.
(1) 
Any person who shall bring or cause to be brought into the Town of Clinton a licensed cat for a period of more than 30 days shall immediately apply for a license and registration tag for each such cat.
(2) 
Any person who shall bring or cause to be brought into the Town of Clinton any unlicensed cat and shall keep the same or permit the same to be kept within the Town of Clinton for a period of more than 30 days shall immediately apply for a license and registration tag for each such cat.
D. 
Application; contents; preservation of information. The application shall state the breed, sex, age, color and markings of the cat for which license and registration are sought, and whether it is of a long- or short-haired variety, also the name, street and post office address of the owner and the person who shall keep or harbor such cat. The information on said application and the registration number issued for the cat shall be preserved for a period of three years by the Clerk or other local official designated to license cats in the municipality.
E. 
License forms and tags. License forms and official tags shall be furnished by the municipality and shall be numbered serially and shall bear the year of issuance and the name of the municipality.
F. 
Evidence of inoculation with rabies vaccine or certification of exemption; requirement for license. No Municipal Clerk or other official designated by the governing body of any municipality to license cats therein shall grant any such license and official registration tag for any cat, unless the owner provides evidence that the cat to be licensed and registered has been inoculated with a rabies vaccine of a type approved by and administered in accordance with the recommendations of the United States Department of Agriculture and the United States Department of Human Services or has been certified exempt as provided by § 64-27 of this article. The rabies inoculation shall be administered by a duly licensed veterinarian or by such other veterinarian permitted by law to do the same.
G. 
License fee schedule. A license shall be issued after payment of a fee for each cat. Persons who fail to obtain a license as required within the time period specified in this section will be subject to a delinquent fee. Such fees shall be as provided in Chapter 73, Fees.
H. 
Fees; renewals; expiration date of license.
(1) 
The person applying for the license and registration tag shall pay the fee fixed or authorized. The fee for the renewal of license and registration tag shall be the same as for the original, and said license, registration tag and renewal thereof shall expire on the last day of January each year and shall be renewed annually.
(2) 
Only one license and registration tag shall be required in the licensing year for any cat in the Town of Clinton. Any valid New Jersey license tag issued by a New Jersey municipality shall be accepted by this municipality as evidence of compliance.
I. 
Proof of licensing. Proof of licensing shall be produced by any person owning, keeping, maintaining or harboring a cat, upon the request of any health official, police officer, animal control officer or other authorized person.
J. 
Interfering with person performing duties under this article. No person shall hinder, molest or interfere with anyone authorized or empowered to perform any duty under this article.
K. 
Disposition of fees collected. License fees and other moneys collected or received under the provisions of this article shall be placed in a special account separate from any of the other accounts of the municipality and shall be used for the following purposes only: collecting, keeping and disposing of cats liable to seizure, for local prevention and control of rabies, providing antirabies treatment under the direction of the local Board of Health for any person known or suspected to have been exposed to rabies and for administering the provisions of this article. Any unexpected balance remaining in such special account shall be retained until the end of the third fiscal year following and may be used for any of the purposes set forth in this section. At the end of said third fiscal year following, and at the end of each fiscal year thereafter, there shall be transferred from such special account to the general funds of the municipality any amount then in such account which is in excess of the total amount paid into the special account during the last two fiscal years next preceding.
L. 
Running at large.
(1) 
Any cat found running at large without a license may be impounded by the Animal Control Officer. Any cat which has been alleged to have bitten or scratched any person may be impounded for purposes of observation as to rabies. Such officer may go upon private property (but not into an inhabited building without consent of the occupant thereof) to so impound such cat.
(2) 
Any cat impounded for running at large without a license may, after notice to the owner thereof (if known), be impounded for seven days. If the cat is not reclaimed within that time by the owner, the cat may be destroyed. No cat so impounded shall be returned to its owner, unless proof can be shown that it has a current rabies shot.
M. 
All licenses shall be obtained by January 31, 1995. Thereafter licenses shall be obtained in January of each year. Those failing to get a license shall be subject to penalties set forth in this article.
A. 
Violations of Article; penalty. Except as otherwise provided in this article, any person who violates or who fails, or refuses to comply with this article shall be liable to a penalty of not more than $50 for each offense.
B. 
The Animal Control Officer of the Town of Clinton or any person authorized by the Board of Health of the Town of Clinton shall have the power to sign a complaint in the Municipal Court against any person alleged to have violated any of the provisions of this article, and any fines levied and collected by the next sentence they use Chief Financial Officer of the Town of Clinton. All fines paid to the Chief Financial Officer of the Town of Clinton as aforesaid, shall be deposited in the special account as described above.