[Adopted 4-24-1942 (Ch. 25, Art. II, of the 1967 Code); amended in its entirety 10-14-2008 by Ord. No. 201-2008]
All dogs and all other animals owned, boarded, kept or found within the Township of River Vale, 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 Township, 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 Health Department of the Township of River Vale, 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 Health Department of the Township of River Vale 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 dog houses 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 or the Police Department 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 and/or the Police Department.
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 or the Police Department 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.
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 or the Police Department 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 § 61-9C and D.
A. 
Any person owning or having possession or control of a dog or other animal that has bitten a person, dog or other animal must within 10 days after the attack (or immediately at the request of the Police Department or Board) provide for the examination and observation of such animal by a licensed veterinarian of the State of New Jersey. Said veterinarian shall immediately report his finding the Board or Police Department by telephone and shall confirm such report in writing within 24 hours.
B. 
Unless an animal is rabid or suspected to be rabid, the veterinarian shall release the animal to the person from whom it was received. Upon taking possession of the animal, the owner or person having possession must securely confine the animal for the observation period.
C. 
Upon receipt of a notice as stated in §§ 61-9 and 61-10 above, the Board or the Police Department 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 or Police Department 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 the observation period.
D. 
Upon receipt of a notice of injury from the bite of a stray dog or other animal, the Board or Police Department 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 a quarantine period as determined by the Board or Police Department; provided, however, that in the event a six-month quarantine is determined appropriate but such six months' quarantine cannot be properly maintained, the Board or Police Department may order such animal destroyed or removed to a place designated by the Board or Police Department for the required period, at the expense of the owner thereof.
E. 
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 C and/or D above.
A. 
When an animal shows signs of rabies, either of the furious or paralytic (dumb) type, the Board or Police Department shall, at once, order such animal removed, 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, to any indigent person within the Township 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.
A. 
Any dog or other animal that has attacked and bitten a person or persons on more than one occasion is hereby declared to be a vicious animal and dangerous to the life of the inhabitants of the Township of River Vale and may be ordered by the Board or Police Department to be securely confined, and such owner or person in possession or control of such animal shall so securely confine it.
B. 
If the order of this Board or Police Department is not complied with, in addition to the penalty herein provided, the Board or Police Department may order such animal removed or destroyed.
A. 
The Executive Health Officer of the Board and the Police Department each 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 they 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.
No dog shall be permitted to run at large off the premises of the owner or persons in charge of the dog. No dog shall be walked on the public streets or public places in the Township except other than when the dog is securely tethered by a leash not to exceed six feet in length and is under supervision or control of a person able to control said dog at all times.
Any person who shall violate any provision of this article or the provisions of any notice served upon him by the Board, its Executive Health Officer or the Police Department shall be liable to a fine of not more than $150 for a first violation, $350 for a second violation or $500 for any subsequent violations 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 Township of River Vale relating to the registration, licensing and confinement of dogs in general within said Township.