[Adopted 1-4-1978 by Ord. No. 78-1 as Ch. 13 of the 1978 Code]
[Amended 3-4-1981 by Ord. No. 81-9; 11-6-1981 by Ord. No. 81-15; 10-5-1983 by Ord. No. 83-7; 9-3-1997 by Ord. No. 97-5; 10-4-2000 by Ord. No. 2000-6; 12-7-2011 by Ord. No. 2011-11; 12-14-2016 by Ord. No. 2016-12; 12-13-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-17]
Each person who shall own, possess, keep or harbor any dog or dogs shall obtain an annual license for each dog and shall have the same registered with the Animal Registrar Officer. If a license is purchased prior to March 16, the fee for such license shall be $17. In addition to the aforesaid fee, an additional charge of $3 shall be paid in order to license any dog of reproductive age which has not had its reproductive capacity permanently altered through sterilization. It shall be the responsibility of the dog's owner to provide proof of such sterilization.
[Added 10-4-2000 by Ord. No. 2000-6]
If a dog license is purchased after March 15, but prior to the commencement of the annual census, a late fee of $10 shall be paid in addition to the license fee set forth in § 50-1 hereof. If a dog license is purchased after the annual census is commenced, a late fee of $50 shall be paid in addition to the license fee set forth in § 50-1 hereof.
The annual license and registration of individual dogs shall not apply to dogs under the age of six months.
A. 
License fees and other moneys collected or received under the provisions of this article, except registration tag fees and fees for kennels and pet shops, shall be placed in a special account separate from any of the other accounts of the Township. Such account shall be used for the following purposes only:
(1) 
For collecting, keeping and disposing of dogs liable to seizure under this article, for local prevention and control of rabies.
(2) 
For providing antirabies treatment under the direction of the local Board of Health for any person known or suspected to have been exposed to rabies.
(3) 
For all other purposes prescribed by the Revised Statutes of New Jersey governing the subject and for administering the provisions of this article.
B. 
Any unexpended balance remaining in such special account shall be retained therein until the end of the third fiscal year following. At the end of the third fiscal year following, and at the end of each fiscal year thereafter, there may be transferred from such special account to the general funds of the Township 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.
C. 
The registration fee of $0.25 for each tag shall be forwarded within 30 days after collection to the State Department of Health. The additional twenty-cent registration fee shall be forwarded to the Pilot Clinic Fund in accordance with law. The three-dollar fee to be paid by owners of dogs which have not been sterilized shall be forwarded to the Department of Health pursuant to law.
[Amended 10-5-1983 by Ord. No. 83-7]
All applications for dog licenses shall be made to the Township, which shall provide a book for the purpose of registering the name of the person or persons owning, keeping, possessing or harboring any dog or dogs, and the name of each dog registered and its number shall be entered therein, and numbers for each application for registration of such dog or dogs shall be in the order in which the applications are made.
[Amended 9-3-1997 by Ord. No. 97-5]
The owner of every dog shall pay the license fees hereinbefore provided to the Animal Control Officer on or before the first day of February in each year, and, upon receipt of said license fee or fees, as the case may be, the Animal Control Officer shall thereupon issue to each person paying such license fee or fees a license for the keeping of such dog or dogs, and which license shall contain the name and address of the owner of the dog, indicating name, breed, sex and markings of the dog, and also the number of such license and shall bear the signature of the Animal Control Officer. All such licenses shall expire on the first day of February of the year following the issuance thereof.
[Amended 9-3-1997 by Ord. No. 97-5]
The Animal Control Officer shall also issue, for each dog licensed, a numbered metal tag, which tag shall be securely attached to a strap or collar worn around the neck of each dog so licensed, and each tag shall have marked thereon the words "licensed dog, Oldmans Township, New Jersey" and figures denoting the year for which the license was issued. The Animal Control Officer may issue substitute tags upon proof, in writing, from the owner or a member of the owner's household above the age of 14 years sufficient to satisfy the Animal Control Officer of the loss of the original tag. Any owner so obtaining such substitute tag or tags shall pay $1 for each such substitute tag.
Every person who shall own, keep, possess or harbor any dog or dogs in the Township of Oldmans who shall neglect or refuse to cause such dog or dogs to be licensed in the manner herein provided on or before the first day of February in each year shall be guilty of a violation of this article; provided, however, that any owner of a dog bringing such dog into the Township in any year who shall cause the same to be licensed within 15 days thereafter shall be taken and deemed to have complied with this article in respect thereto.
Any dog owner who shall suffer or permit any unlicensed dog to run at large or who shall suffer or permit any dog, whether licensed or not, to run at large without the tag provided for in § 50-6 of this article or who shall cause or permit any unlicensed dog to wear such a tag shall be guilty of a violation of this article.
[Amended 9-3-1997 by Ord. No. 97-5]
Any dog or dogs not licensed pursuant to the provisions of this article shall be subject to seizure by the duly appointed Animal Control Officer, impounded and thereafter destroyed or offered for adoption in accordance with N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.16, and any dog which shall not have securely fixed or fastened to its neck a tag issued with the license for such dog shall be deemed unlicensed and subject to seizure. All dogs seized pursuant to the provisions of this section shall be impounded until disposed of in accordance with the provisions of the statutes.
[Amended 9-3-1997 by Ord. No. 97-5]
Dogs used as guides for blind persons, commonly known as "seeing eye" dogs, dogs used to assist handicapped persons and commonly known as "service" dogs and dogs used to assist deaf persons and commonly known as "hearing ear" dogs shall be licensed and registered as other dogs, except that the owner or keeper shall not be required to pay any fee therefor.
Any person who harbors or possesses any dog for a period of 15 days or more shall, for the purpose of this article, be deemed to be the owner of the dog or dogs so harbored or possessed.
[Added 10-4-2000 by Ord. No. 2000-6]
The owner of a dog which has been previously registered and licensed shall notify the Animal Control Officer in the event that said dog dies or is no longer housed in Oldmans Township. Said notification shall occur within 10 days of the death or removal of said dog from Oldmans Township.
[Amended 9-3-1997 by Ord. No. 97-5]
No person who owns, harbors, keeps or possesses a female dog shall suffer or permit her to be in or upon any street, highway or alley or other public place in the Township of Oldmans or to trespass upon the property of other persons at any time or times when such female dog may be in heat. Any such female dog running at large in violation of this section shall be impounded by the Animal Control Officer, who may destroy it or place it for adoption in accordance with law.
No person who owns, keeps, harbors or possesses any dog or dogs shall suffer or permit such dog or dogs to annoy neighbors and other persons living within his immediate vicinity by continued barking and howling, and whenever complaint shall be made, in writing, under oath, by two or more persons living within hearing distance of such dog setting forth that such barking or howling is continued for unreasonable periods for three or more consecutive days or nights, to the annoyance and discomfort of the complainants and their neighbors and families, so that it can be established that such barking and howling is a nuisance to the immediate neighborhood, then and in such case said owner shall cause said barking and howling to cease and terminate immediately, and if such barking and howling shall occur, regardless of its duration, the provisions of this article shall be deemed to have been violated, and the owner shall pay such penalty as may be imposed therefor.
[Amended 9-3-1997 by Ord. No. 97-5]
The Animal Control Officer of the Township of Oldmans, or such person or persons as the Township Committee may by resolution designate, shall annually cause a canvass of all dogs to be made in accordance with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.15.
[Amended 9-3-1997 by Ord. No. 97-5]
Any person who shall in any way hinder or interfere with the Animal Control Officer, official canvasser or canvassers, constable or any other peace officer in the performance of his duties under the provisions of this article or who shall refuse to give information to the persons making any canvass under § 50-14 of this article or who shall take a dog from the dog pound, except upon redeeming such dog as provided by law, or who shall break or damage such dog pound shall be deemed to have violated the provisions of this article.
[Amended 9-5-1979 by Ord. No. 79-4; 9-3-1997 by Ord. No. 97-5]
A. 
No person who owns, keeps or harbors any dog, whether such dog is licensed or unlicensed, shall permit such dog to run or be unattended in any public place or upon the private property of any person, other than the property of the person who owns, keeps or harbors such dog. Any person who violates this subsection shall be punishable as provided in § 50-20.
B. 
In addition to any court proceeding which may be brought under Subsection A of this section, the Animal Control Officer of the Township may take into custody and impound and thereafter destroy or offer for adoption any dog which shall run or be unattended in any public place or on the property of any person other than the one who owns, keeps or harbors such dog.
C. 
If any dog 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 person keeping or harboring the dog is known, the Animal Control Officer shall forthwith serve on the person so identified a notice, in writing, stating that the dog has been seized and will be liable to be destroyed or offered for adoption if not claimed within seven days after service of the notice.
No person owning, keeping or harboring a dog shall permit or suffer it to do any injury or to do any damage to any lawn, shrubbery, flowers, grounds or property.
[Amended 9-3-1997 by Ord. No. 97-5]
Vicious dogs shall be dealt with as provided in N.J.S.A. 4:19-17 et seq.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Section 13.18, regarding destruction of vicious dogs, which immediately followed this section, was deleted 9-3-1997 by Ord. No. 97-5.
A. 
Kennel defined; license required.
[Amended 4-6-2005 by Ord. No. 2005-4]
(1) 
Any person who harbors or allows to remain on their property more than five (5) adult dogs shall be deemed to operate a kennel, pet shop, shelter, or pound, and shall be responsible for procuring a license from the Township Licensing Officer entitling them to keep or operate such establishment in accordance with N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.8 et seq.
(2) 
Any individual or entity harboring five or more licensed dogs on the property prior to the effective date of this section shall not be required to obtain a variance to operate a kennel but shall be required to pay the licensing fee as described herein, as the use shall be deemed nonconforming for the number of dogs which they have licensed on the effective date of this section.
B. 
The annual license fee for the kennel providing accommodations for 10 or fewer dogs is $200, and the annual license fee for a kennel providing accommodations for more than 10 dogs is $500. The annual license fee for a pet shop is $200. No fee shall be charged for shelter or pound.
[Amended 5-2-1984 by Ord. No. 84-5]
[Added 9-3-1997 by Ord. No. 97-5]
A. 
A violation of § 50-1, 50-7, 50-15 or 50-19 shall be punishable as provided in N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.19.
B. 
Except as provided in Subsection A of this section, a violation of this article shall be punishable as provided in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article II, General Penalty.