As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
CAT
Any cat, male or female, of the small domestic quadruped
family of felines.
DOG
Any dog, bitch or spayed bitch.
DOG OF LICENSING AGE
Any dog which has attained the age of seven months or which
possesses a set of permanent teeth.
DOMESTIC PET ANIMALS
Any animals of the canine, feline or rodent families including
dogs, cats and rabbits commonly domesticated, accepted and sheltered
as household pets.
KEEPER
Any person exercising control over a dog or permitting a
dog to remain on premises under his control.
KENNEL
Any establishment wherein or whereon the business of boarding
or selling dogs or breeding dogs for sale is carried on, except a
pet shop.
OWNER
When applied to the proprietorship of a dog, shall mean and
include every person having a right of property in such dog and every
person who has such a dog in his keeping.
PET SHOP
Any room or group of rooms, cage or exhibition pen, not part
of a kennel, wherein dogs for sale are kept or displayed.
POUND
An establishment for the confinement of dogs seized either
under the provisions of this article or otherwise.
SHELTER
Any establishment where dogs are received, housed and distributed.
[Amended 2-13-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-2; 1-11-2016 by Ord. No. 2015-38]
A dog canvass is to be conducted if and as required by applicable
state law.
No person shall own, keep or harbor a dog or cat in the Town,
except in compliance with the provisions of this article and the following
regulations.
A. Wearing of registration. All dogs and cats which are required by
the provisions of this article to be licensed shall wear a collar
or harness with the registration tag for such dog or cat securely
fastened thereto.
B. Use of registration tags. No person, except an officer in the performance
of his duties, shall remove a registration tag from the collar of
any dog or cat without the consent of the owner, nor shall any person
attach a registration tag to a dog or cat for which it was not issued.
C. Interference with official duties. No person shall hinder, molest
or interfere with anyone authorized or empowered to perform any duty
under this article.
D. Disturbing the peace. No person shall own, keep or harbor or maintain
any dog which habitually barks, or a cat which cries, between the
hours of 10:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m.
E. Running at large. No person owning, keeping or harboring any dog or cat shall permit the animal to run at large upon the public streets or in any public park, public building or other public place within the Town. Persons who violate this provision by allowing their dog or cat to run at large shall be punishable as provided in Chapter
1, Article
III, General Penalty.
[Amended 2-13-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-2]
F. Leashing of dogs and cats. No person owning, keeping or harboring
any dog or cat shall suffer or permit it to be upon the public streets
or in any of the public places of the Town unless such dog or cat
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.
G. Personal injury or property damage. No person owning, keeping or
harboring a dog or cat shall permit it to injure any person or to
do any damage to any lawn, shrubbery, flowers, grounds or property.
Where it has been determined by a physician that a person has
been bitten by a dog or cat, such individual or his parent or guardian
if he is a minor, shall immediately notify the police. When the owner
or keeper of any dog or cat shall be notified by the police that the
dog or cat has bitten an individual, the owner or keeper of the dog
or cat must comply with the following procedures:
A. Have the dog or cat examined by a licensed veterinarian within 12
hours.
B. Have the dog or cat kept in quarantine in the owner's home or at
a kennel for a period of 10 days.
C. At the end of the 10 days, have the dog or cat reexamined by a veterinarian
and a written report of the dog's or cat's state of health sent to
the Board of Health.
The Council may, by proclamation, require all dogs and cats
to be quarantined during such period in each year as may seem advisable
to the Council.
All owners of any domestic pet animals shall be required to
vaccinate such animals that are permitted access to exterior areas
of the premises owned, operated or occupied by such pet owners to
protect the health and safety of the general public. Vaccination shall
be performed by a licensed veterinarian who shall provide the pet
owner with a certificate of vaccination, or vaccination may be sponsored
by the Town for the benefit and convenience of the public. When such
arrangements are made by the Town to conduct a vaccination clinic
for domestic pet animals, the dates, times and location of such a
clinic will be announced by publication of the appropriate information
in the local newspaper of record.
The Town Council shall have the power to appoint an Animal Control
Officer whose duty it shall be to enforce the provisions of this article.
The Town Council shall also have the power to appoint one or more
persons to be known as "animal catchers" who may impound unlicensed
dogs or cats running at large in violation of the provisions of this
article, and who shall make monthly reports and an animal report to
said Town Council.
Except as provided in N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.19, violations of the provisions of this article shall be punishable as set forth in Chapter
1, Article
III, General Penalty.