[Adopted by Ord. No. 8-1997 (Ch. 6.08 of the 1996 Municipal Code)]
[Amended by Ord. No. 1-2002]
As used in this article, words herein defined shall have the following meanings:
ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER
A certified municipal animal control officer or, in the absence of such an officer, the chief law enforcement officer of the City or his designee.
DEPARTMENT
The State of New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services.
DOG
Any dog, bitch or spayed bitch.[1]
DOG OF LICENSING AGE
Any dog which has attained the age of seven months or which possesses a set of permanent teeth.
DOMESTIC ANIMAL
Any cat, dog or livestock other than poultry.
HABITUAL BARKING
Barking, howling or crying continuously for a period of 10 minutes or more or intermittently for 30 minutes or more.[2]
OWNER
Every person having a right of property in such dog and every person who has such dog in his/her keeping.[3]
POUND
An establishment for the confinement of dogs seized either under the provisions of this article or otherwise.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
[2]
Editor's Note: Added at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
[3]
Editor's Note: The former definition of "panel," which immediately followed this definition, was deleted at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
A. 
License; when required.
(1) 
Licenses shall be required for the following dogs of licensing age:
(a) 
Any dog acquired and kept within the City on January 1 of any calendar year;
(b) 
Any dog acquired by any person during the course of any calendar year and kept within the City for more than 10 days after acquisition;
(c) 
Any dog attaining licensing age during the course of the calendar year, within 10 days of age attainment;
(d) 
Any unlicensed dog brought into the City by any person and kept within the City for more than 10 days;
(e) 
Any dog licensed by another state brought into the City by any person and kept within the City for more than 90 days.
(2) 
Only one license and registration tag shall be required in any licensing year for any dog owned in New Jersey, and the license and tag issued by any other municipality of this state shall be accepted by the City as evidence of compliance with this article.
B. 
Application for license.
(1) 
Each application for a dog license shall be made to the Secretary of the Board of Health and shall give the following information:
(a) 
A general description of the dog sought to be licensed, including breed, sex, age, color and markings and whether the dog is of a long or short haired variety;
(b) 
Name, street and post office address of the owner of the dog and the person who shall keep the dog if other than the owner.
(2) 
Registration numbers shall be issued in the order in which applications are received.
C. 
Application for license; when made. Applications for licenses for dogs which are required to be licensed by the provisions of Subsection A of this section shall be made before January 31 of each year. In all other cases, the application for a license shall be made within 10 days of the date upon which the dog in question first becomes subject to the provisions of this article.
D. 
Fees. The person applying for a license shall pay a license fee for each dog plus a fee for the registration tag for each dog. Such fees shall be as provided in Chapter 146, Fee Schedule. The same fees shall be charged for the annual renewal of a license and registration tag.
E. 
Expiration date. Each dog license and registration tag shall expire on January 31 of the year following the year in which it was issued.
F. 
Rabies inoculation. Each application for a dog license shall be accompanied by a certificate of inoculation against rabies pursuant to the provisions contained in § 84-7, otherwise no license and registration tag for the dog in question shall be issued.
G. 
Exceptions. Dogs used as guides for blind persons and commonly known as "Seeing Eye Dogs" shall be licensed in the same manner as other dogs, except that the owner shall not be required to pay any fee.
[Amended by Ord. No. 6-2006]
A. 
Registration tags. A metal registration tag shall be issued for each dog licensed. Each dog licensed shall wear a collar or harness with its registration tag securely fastened to it.
B. 
Improper use of registration tags. No person, except an officer of the City in the performance of his/her duties, shall remove a registration tag from the collar of any dog without the consent of the owner, nor shall any person attach a registration tag to a dog for which it was not issued.
C. 
Running at large. No owner of any dog shall permit it to run at large upon any street, park, public building or any other public place within the City.
D. 
Leashing of dogs. No owner of any dog shall permit it to be upon the public streets or in any of the public places of the City unless such dog is accompanied by a person over the age of 12 years and is securely confined and controlled by an adequate leash not more than six feet long.
E. 
Property damage; responsibility of dog owner.
(1) 
No owner of any dog shall permit it to do any damage to any lawn, garden, shrubbery, flowers, grounds or other property.
(2) 
In addition to any fine levied as a result of violations of this article, the owner of any animal which causes damage to another's property shall be responsible for the damage caused.
F. 
Disturbing the peace. No person shall keep, harbor or maintain any dog which habitually barks or cries between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
G. 
Confining of female dogs. Every female dog in season shall be kept confined in a building or secure enclosure or in a veterinary hospital or boarding kennel, in such a manner that such female dog cannot come in contact with another dog, except for intentional breeding purposes. Nothing herein shall prevent the owner from walking and exercising such dog on that owner's property, provided that the dog is controlled and secured by an adequate leash. The Animal Control Officer shall take into custody and impound any female dog in season off the premises of the owner or of the person keeping or harboring such dog.
The Animal Control Officer shall annually cause a canvass to be made of all dogs owned, kept or harbored within the City and shall report to the Secretary of the Board of Health and to the State Department of Health and Senior Services the result thereof, setting forth in separate columns the names and addresses of persons owning, keeping or harboring dogs, the number of licensed dogs owned, kept or harbored by each person, the registration number of each licensed dog and the number of unlicensed dogs owned, kept or harbored by each person and a complete description of each unlicensed dog.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
A. 
Cause for impounding. The Animal Control Officer shall take into custody and impound the following dogs:[1]
(1) 
Any dog off the premises of the owner which any police officer or Animal Control Officer has reason to believe is a stray dog;
(2) 
Any dog off the premises of the owner which is without a current registration tag on his/her collar;
(3) 
Any female dog, in season, off the premises of the owner.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
B. 
Access to premises. Any officer or agent authorized or empowered to perform any duty under this article may go upon any premises to seize for impounding any dog which he/she may lawfully seize and impound when such officer is in immediate pursuit of such dog or dogs, except upon the premises of the owner of the dog if the owner is present and forbids the same.
C. 
Notice of seizure.
(1) 
If any dog so seized wears a collar or harness showing the name and address of any person or a registration tag or if the owner of the dog is known, the Animal Control Officer shall forthwith serve on the person whose address is given on the collar or on the owner, if known, a notice in writing stating that the dog has been seized and will be liable to be disposed of or destroyed if not claimed within three days after service of the notice.[2]
[2]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
(2) 
A notice under this section may be served either by delivering it to the person on whom it is to be served or by leaving it at the person's usual, or last known, place of abode or at the address given on the dog's collar or by forwarding it by mail in a prepaid letter addressed to that person at his/her usual, or last known, place of abode or to the address given on the collar.
D. 
Destruction of dogs. The Animal Control Officer may cause any impounded dog to be destroyed in as humane a manner as possible under any of the following contingencies:[3]
(1) 
When the dog has not been claimed by any person within three days after notice or within three days of the dog's seizure when notice cannot be given, as set forth in Subsection C of this section;
(2) 
If the person owning the dog has not paid all expenses incurred by reason of its seizure, including a maintenance charge not to exceed a fee as set forth in Chapter 146, Fee Schedule;
(3) 
If the dog is unlicensed at the time of its seizure and the person owning, keeping or harboring such dog has not procured a license and registration tag as required by this article.
[3]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
A. 
Mandatory inoculation. Except as otherwise provided in Subsection D of this section, no person shall own, harbor or keep any dog within the City limits which is not inoculated against rabies.
B. 
Period of inoculation. A dog shall be inoculated against rabies once each year and within nine months prior to the date set for procurement of the dog license required in § 84-3A, provided, if the Flury chick embryo vaccine is used, the inoculation against rabies may be performed every three years. The inoculation shall be made by a duly licensed veterinarian of the State of New Jersey or by such other person permitted by law to make same and approved by the Department of Health of the City. The vaccine must be of a type approved by the United States Bureau of Animal Industry or by the United States Public Health Service.
C. 
Rabies tag and certificate. Any person who shall own, keep or harbor a dog within the City limits shall possess a certificate, both indicating that such dog has been inoculated against rabies and setting forth the date of such inoculation. The certificate of inoculation shall be exhibited to the Health Officer when application for a dog license is made. The certificate shall also be produced by any person owning, keeping or harboring a dog within the City limits upon the request of any Department of Health official or member of the Police Department.
D. 
Exceptions. This section shall not apply to:
(1) 
Dogs which have not attained the age of seven months;
(2) 
Dogs which do not possess a permanent set of teeth;
(3) 
Any dog which the Department of Health, for a specified period of time, declares exempt upon presentation of a certificate from a veterinarian stating that because of an infirmity or other physical condition, the inoculation of such dog shall be deemed inadvisable for a specified period of time;
(4) 
Dogs in veterinarian hospitals or pet shows, dogs in transit or dogs brought into the City temporarily for the sole purpose of showing in dog shows or exhibitions;
(5) 
Any dog inoculated at the State Department of Health and Senior Services animal rabies clinic.
A. 
The Council shall have power to appoint an Animal Control Officer whose duty it shall be to enforce the provisions of this article. The Council shall also have power to appoint one or more persons to be known as "Animal Control Officers," who may impound stray dogs running at large.
B. 
No person shall hinder, molest or interfere with anyone authorized or empowered to perform any duty under this article.
A. 
Records. The information on the application and the registration number issued for the dog shall be preserved for a period of three years by the Secretary of the Board of Health. In addition, he/she shall forward similar information to the State Department of Health and Senior Services each month on forms furnished by the State Department of Health and Senior Services.
B. 
Disposition of license fees.
(1) 
License fees and other moneys collected or received under the provisions of this article, except registration tag fees, shall be forwarded to the City Treasurer within 30 days after receipt and shall be placed in a special account separate from any other account of the City and shall be used for the following purposes only:
(a) 
For collecting, keeping and disposing of dogs liable to seizure under this article;
(b) 
For local prevention and control of rabies;
(c) 
For providing antirabies treatment under the direction of the Board of Health for any person known or suspected of having been exposed to rabies;
(d) 
For the payment of $0.25 per license to the Secretary of the Board of Health as compensation for service rendered in connection with the registration of dogs;
(e) 
For other purposes prescribed by the statutes of New Jersey governing the subject;
(f) 
For administering the provisions of this article.
(2) 
Any unexpended balance shall be retained in such special account 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 the 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 City any amount which is in excess of the total amount paid into the special account during the last two fiscal years next preceding. The registration fee for each dog shall be forwarded within 30 days after collection by the Registrar to the State Department of Health and Senior Services.
[Amended 6-14-2011 by Ord. No. 05-2011]
[Amended by Ord. No. 4-2002; 2-2-2021 by Ord. No. 08-2021]
Any person who violates or fails or refuses to comply with § 84-3 shall pay a penalty of $100 in addition to the applicable license fee. For any other violation of this article, the general penalty clause[1] shall apply.
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 1, Art. III, General Penalty.