[Amended 12-6-1999 by Ord. No. 99-14]
As used in this article, unless the context
otherwise indicates, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
AT LARGE
Off the premises of the owner and not under control either
by leash, cord or chain.
PUBLIC NUISANCE
A dog:
A.
If it has no known owner, or
B.
If it has no known place of care or shelter,
or
C.
If it trespasses upon or damages either private
or public property or annoys or harms lawful users or occupants thereof.
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.
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, includes every
person having a right of property in that dog and every person who
has that dog in his/her keeping, and when applied to the proprietorship
of any other animal, including but not limited to a cat, shall include
every person having a right of property in that animal and every person
who has that animal in his/her keeping.
PET SHOP
Any place of business which is not part of a kennel, wherein
animals, including but not limited to dogs, cats, birds, fish, reptiles,
rabbits, hamsters or gerbils, are kept or displayed chiefly for the
purpose of sale to individuals for personal appreciation and companionship
rather than for business or research purposes.
POUND
An establishment for the confinement of dogs or other animals
seized either under the provisions of this chapter or otherwise.
SHELTER
Any establishment where dogs or other animals are received,
housed and distributed.
[Amended 9-8-1981 by Ord. No. 334; 9-6-1983 by Ord. No.
360; 12-6-1999 by Ord. No. 99-14; 4-5-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-5]
A. The owner of any newly acquired dog of licensing age
or of any dog which attains licensing age shall make application for
license and registration tag for such dog within 10 business days
after such acquisition or age attainment. Dog licenses shall be issued
by the Borough Clerk upon payment of a license fee for each dog, plus
a charge for each registration tag, plus a surcharge for a Pilot Clinic
Fund as required by the State of New Jersey Department of Health to
provide funding for a pilot low-cost spay/neuter clinic for dogs and
cats. In addition to the above license fees, there shall be a payment
required for any dog of reproductive age which has not had its reproductive
capacity permanently altered through sterilization for an Animal Population
Control Fund as required by the State of New Jersey Department of
Health. The owner shall state at the time application is made for
such license and upon printed forms provided for such purpose, his/her
name, address and telephone number and the name, breed, color and
sex of each dog owned or kept by him/her and shall present proof of
compliance with all other ordinances and regulations relating to dogs.
Dogs whose owners are nonresidents (temporarily within the Borough),
dogs brought into the Borough for the purpose of participating in
any dog show, dogs used as guides for blind persons and commonly known
as "Seein Eye" dogs, dogs used to assist handicapped persons and commonly
known as "service dogs" or dogs used to assist deaf persons and commonly
known as "hearing ear" dogs shall be licensed and registered as other
dogs hereinabove provided for, except that the owner or keeper of
such dog shall not be required to pay any fee therefor.
B. Licenses
shall expire on December 31 and shall be renewed annually, subject
to the same fees, charges and surcharges as for initial licensure.
C. In addition to the license charge set forth in Subsection
A above, the owner of any dog shall pay a late registration fee for each month, or any portion thereof, for all licenses issued after February 1 of each year.
D. The dollar amounts of all fees, charges and surcharges required by this section are set forth in §
98-26 of this Code.
[Amended 2-2-1981 by Ord. No. 326]
Any person who shall bring into the Borough
of Pennington any dog licensed in another state for the current year,
shall, within 90 days thereafter, apply for a license and registration
tag for each dog, unless such dog is duly licensed under any other
ordinance adopted by the Borough of Pennington.
Upon payment of the license fee, the Clerk shall
issue to the owner a license certificate and a metallic registration
tag for each dog so licensed. The tag shall have stamped thereon the
year for which it was issued and the number corresponding with the
number on the certificate. Every owner shall be required to provide
each dog with a collar to which the license tag must be affixed and
shall see that the collar and tag are constantly worn. In case a tag
is lost or destroyed, a new tag will be issued by the Clerk, upon
presentation of a receipt showing the payment of the license fee for
the current year and the payment of $0.50 for each replacement tag.
Tags shall not be transferable from one dog to another, and no refunds
shall be made on any dog license fee because of death of the dog or
the owner's leaving the Borough before expiration of the license period.
[Amended 12-6-1999 by Ord. No. 99-14]
It shall be the duty of the Animal Control Officer
or other Municipal Official so designated to apprehend any dog found
running at large contrary to the provisions of this article, or any
dog becoming a public nuisance and to impound such dog in the Borough
animal pound or other suitable place. The Animal Control Officer upon
receiving any dog shall make a complete registry, entering the breed,
color and sex of such dog and whether licensed. If licensed, the Animal
Control Officer shall enter the name and address of the owner and
the license tag number. The provisions of N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.16 shall
apply in the impounding or taking dogs into custody.
[Amended 12-6-1999 by Ord. No. 99-14]
The Borough Council shall appoint at the first
meeting of each year an Animal Control Officer at a compensation to
be established in the Annual Salary Ordinance.
It shall be the duty of the Borough of Pennington
to keep all dogs so impounded for a period of seven days. If at the
expiration of seven days from the date of notice to the owner or the
posting of notice, such dog shall not have been redeemed, it may be
destroyed. Any dog which appears to be suffering from rabies or infected
with hyrophobia, mange or other infectious or dangerous disease shall
not be released but shall be destroyed with just cause presented by
the veterinarian.
The annual license fee for a kennel providing
accommodations for 10 or fewer dogs shall be $10 and for more than
10 dogs $25. The annual license fee for a pet shop shall be $10. No
fee shall be charged for a shelter or pound.
[Amended 12-6-1999 by Ord. No. 99-14]
Except as otherwise provided by N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.1
et seq., any person who violates any provision of this article shall,
upon conviction, be subject to a fine not exceeding $1,000, a term
of imprisonment not exceeding 90 days or a period of community service
not exceeding 90 days, or any combination thereof.