This chapter is enacted for the public good and general welfare.
[Adopted 6-10-1998 by Ord. No. 98-07]
As used in this section:
Any dog, bitch or spayed bitch, and dog of licensing age shall mean any dog which has attained the age of seven months or which possesses a set of permanent teeth.
As defined under Article IV, Animal Noise, of this chapter.
[Amended 6-24-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-02]
The person or persons owning, controlling, keeping or harboring a dog.
Any dog off and not on the premises of the owner.
An enclosure or pen out of which the dog cannot escape.
A leash or chain, which the dog cannot break or sever and which is not over six feet in length.
Continuous barking or crying without pauses of one minute.
Any dog which has bitten a person two or more times without provocation.
In the event the provisions of this section and any other section is violated, the offended party shall file a complaint, in writing, with the Animal Control Officer of the Township.
The forgoing provision shall not apply to dogs accompanied by a hunter during hunting season, or dogs being used for training purposes accompanied by the owner or trainer of the dog.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 62-5, Nuisance barking, was repealed 6-4-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-02.
No person owning, harboring, keeping or in charge of any dog shall cause, suffer or allow such dog or dogs to soil, defile or defecate on or commit any nuisance on any common thoroughfare, sidewalk, passageway, bypath, play area, park or any place where people congregate or walk or upon any public property whatsoever or upon any private property without the permission of the owner of said property.
Any person owning, harboring, keeping or in charge of any dog or dogs which soils, defiles, defecates on or commits any nuisance shall have in their possession at all times appropriate means, including but not limited to a shovel or other implements and containers or disposal bags to immediately remove and dispose of all feces and droppings by said dog or dogs on any common thoroughfare, sidewalk, passageway, bypath, play area, park or any place where people congregate or walk or upon any public property whatsoever or upon any private property without the permission of the owner of said property.
The feces removed from the aforementioned designated area shall be disposed of by the person owning, harboring, keeping or in charge of any such dog or dogs in a sanitary manner approved by the Township Committee or its authorized agent.
The provisions of these sections shall not apply to blind persons who may use dogs as guides, to handicapped persons who may use service dogs or to deaf persons who may use hearing ear dogs.
No person owning, harboring or keeping any dog or dogs shall suffer or permit it/them to run at large upon the public streets or in any public park or in any public building or in any other public place within the Township. No person owning, harboring or keeping any dog or dogs shall suffer or permit it/them to run at large upon the lands or premises of any person, other than the person owning, keeping, maintaining, harboring or having charge of such dog or dogs, without the consent of the owner or lessee of such private lands and premises.
No person owning, harboring or keeping any dog or dogs shall suffer or permit it/them to be upon public streets or in any of the public places within the Township unless such dog or dogs is/are accompanied by a person capable of controlling it/them and is confined by a secure leash(s).
No person owning, harboring or keeping any dog or dogs shall suffer or permit it/them to do any injury or to do any damage to any lawn, shrubbery, flowers, grounds or property of another person.
Nothing contained in this article shall be deemed contradictory or at variance with N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.1 et seq. and the provisions hereof are in addition thereto.
Dogs shall be duly licensed and shall bear evidence of such license at all times in accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey.
No dog shall wear or bear a license tag other than that issued for him/her for the current year.
[Amended 2-15-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-01; 12-8-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-08; 9-11-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-19; 12-27-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-19; 12-29-2025 by Ord. No. 2025-16]
A.
Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.3, the owners of any dog of licensing age harbored and kept in the Township shall apply for and obtain a license in the Township and pay an annual license fee as follows:
Spayed/Neutered | Nonspayed/Nonneutered | |
|---|---|---|
License fee | $15.80 | $20.80 |
NJ registration fee | $1 | $1 |
NJ Pilot Clinic Fund | $0.20 | $0.20 |
NJ pet population control | $3 | $3 |
$20 | $25 | |
Senior citizen/veteran rate | $10 | $15 |
B.
All licenses and registration shall expire on January 31 of each year at midnight. All license and registration fees shall be payable in full for the entire amount, regardless of when applied for or issued. All fees shall be due and payable for dogs acquired after January 31 each year; the fee shall be paid from the date the dog was acquired. A late fee of $5 per month shall be assessed on all payments for licenses received after January 31.
In the event that the metal registration tag is lost, such tag may be replaced upon application to the Township Clerk at a fee of $0.25.
[Amended 2-15-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-01; 12-8-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-08]
Any dog owner or person harboring a dog found to have an unlicensed dog by the Township Animal Control Officer, dog canvasser or other municipal official after January 31 shall be required to pay an additional delinquent fee of $10 as of February 1 and, in addition, $5 for each succeeding month thereafter, plus the required license fee as provided in this article. The aforementioned fee and late fees shall not apply to dogs which have been acquired by the owner after February 1 for which the license fee shall be the same as required in § 62-16. The owner, however, must present sufficient proof to establish that the dog was acquired after February 1.
This chapter shall not apply to pounds maintained at public expense, kennels maintained by the Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or to veterinarians to which dogs have been committed by public authorities.
No license to own, keep or harbor a dog in the Township shall be issued to or in the name of minor.
The conduct of a dog shall be attributed to the owner thereof, and the owner shall be deemed to have permitted any dog who acts contrary to the requirements of this article to act as and such owner shall be guilty of the violation thereof.
The Township Committee shall have power to enter into a contract with one or more persons for the exercise of the duty of dog catcher, Animal Control Officer or poundmaster to enforce the provisions of this article.
[Amended 6-25-2025 by Ord. No. 2025-08]
A.
The contractor, poundmaster or person responsible for such purpose may take into custody and impound or cause to be taken into custody and impounded and thereafter destroyed or disposed of as provided in this section:
(1)
Any dog running at large in this Township.
(2)
Any dog off the premises of the owner not confined to a secure leash or the person keeping or harboring said dog not capable of controlling said dog who shall be confined to a secure leash.
(3)
Any female dog in season off the premises of the owner or the person keeping or harboring said dog.
B.
When any dog so seized has been detained for seven days after notice, when notice can be given, or has been detained for seven days after the seizure, when notice cannot be given in accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey, and if the owner or person keeping or harboring the dog or new owner has not claimed the dog and paid all expenses incurred by reason of its seizure, and the owner or the person keeping or harboring the dog or new owner has not produced a current license and registration tag for the dog, the contractor or poundmaster or other designated authority may cause the dog to be destroyed in a manner causing as little pain as possible.
C.
Any owner claiming a dog shall, in addition to paying the expenses the kennel may charge by statute, shall as a condition of the dog's release from custody, pay all expenses incurred by reason of its detention, including the usual and customary per diem maintenance and boarding charges that would be chargeable to the Township of Blairstown.
D.
With respect to any owner that is a resident of the Township, the Township Committee may certify any and all costs associated with the detention of a dog at a kennel incurred by the Township, with any municipal funds expended for such purpose to be charged against the premises of the dog owner, and shall be a lien against the premises and shall be added to and become and form a part of the taxes next to be assessed and levied upon such dwelling or lands, the same to bear interest at the same rate as taxes, and shall be collected and enforced by the Tax Collector in the same manner as taxes.
The Animal Control officer shall submit a quarterly annual report to the official of the Health Department, which report shall contain a description of each animal seized, the license number, if any, the reason for seizure, and the disposition made of such animal.
The official representative for dog control shall render a quarterly report to the health official which report shall contain the following information:
A.
The number of dogs captured.
B.
The number of dogs destroyed.
C.
The number of dogs redeemed and the amounts paid for redemption.
D.
The number of dog bite investigations.
E.
Any and all court findings, and any and all results or findings from mediation are to be forwarded to the Animal Control Officer within 30 days of said proceeding(s) so as to maintain a complete and accurate file of all events.
Any dog owner or person harboring a dog or dogs shall be required to have his/her dog or dogs inoculated to prevent the spread of rabies.
No person shall abandon a dog in or within the limits of the Township of Blairstown.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 62-28, Violations and penalties, was repealed 6-4-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-02.