[Adopted 10-18-1993 by Ord. No. 9-93; amended in its entirety 5-19-1997 by Ord. No. 1-97 (Ch. 61 of the 1981 Code)]
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ANIMAL
Any dog or cat.
CAT
Any member of the domestic feline species, male, female or altered.
CAT OF LICENSING AGE
Any cat which has attained the age of seven months or which possesses a set of permanent teeth.
CERTIFIED ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER
A person 18 years of age or older who has satisfactorily completed a course of study approved by the Commissioner of Health on the control of animals prescribed pursuant to Section 3 of P.L. 1983, c. 525 (N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.16a), or who has been employed in the State of New Jersey in the capacity of, and with similar responsibilities to those required of, a certified animal control officer.
FARM CAT
Any cat which is retained and used for the control of rodents on land in agricultural use or on any real property whereupon large farm animals, such as horses, cattle or sheep, are kept.
KENNEL
Any establishment where the business of boarding, selling or breeding cats for sale is carried on, except a pet shop.
LICENSING AUTHORITY
The agency or department of Allamuchy Township or any designated representative thereof charged with administering the issuance and/or revocation of permits and licenses under the provisions of this article.
NEUTERED
Rendered permanently incapable of reproduction as certified by a licensed veterinarian.
OWNER
When applied to the proprietorship of a cat, shall include every person having a right of property (or custody) of such cat and every person who has such cat in his/her keeping.
PERSON
Any individual, corporation, partnership, organization or institution commonly recognized by law as a unit.
PET SHOP
Any room or group of rooms, cage or exhibition pen, not part of a kennel, wherein cats for sale are kept or displayed.
POUND
An official establishment for the confinement of cats seized either under the provisions of this article or otherwise.
SHELTER
Any establishment where cats are received, housed and distributed without charge.
All cats shall be vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian in accordance with the latest Compendium of Animal Rabies Vaccines and Recommendations for Immunization published by the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, except as provided for in Subsection B.
A. 
Vaccination certificate. A certificate of vaccination shall be issued to the owner of each animal vaccinated on a form recommended by the state.
B. 
Exemptions. Any cat may be exempted from the requirements of such vaccination for a specified period of time upon presentation of a veterinarian's certificate stating that, because of an infirmity or other physical condition or regimen of therapy, the inoculation of such cat shall be deemed inadvisable.
A. 
Application for license; when made. Applications for licenses for cats shall be made before the first day of February of each calendar year. In all other cases, the application for a license shall be made within 10 days for any newly acquired cat of licensing age or for any cat which attains licensing age. This requirement shall not apply to a nonresident keeping a cat which is licensed in another state or municipality for the current year within Allamuchy Township for no longer than 90 days.
B. 
Display of license number and tag. Any person who shall own, keep or harbor a cat of licensing age shall annually apply for and procure from the Township a license and official registration tag with license number and shall place upon such cat a collar or other device with the license number securely fastened or displayed thereto. Acceptable methods of displaying the license number shall include, but are not limited to, breakaway or elastic collars. License tags are not transferable.
C. 
Cats brought into jurisdiction.
(1) 
Any person who shall bring or cause to be brought into Allamuchy Township any cat licensed in another state or municipality for the current year and bearing a registration tag or shall keep the same or permit the same to be kept within Allamuchy Township for a period of more than 90 days shall immediately apply for a license and registration tag for each such cat.
(2) 
Any person who shall bring or cause to be brought into Allamuchy Township any unlicensed cat and shall keep the same or permit the same to be kept within Allamuchy Township for a period of more than 10 days shall immediately apply for a license and registration tag for each such cat.
D. 
Application; contents; preservation of information. The application shall state the breed, sex, age, color and markings of the cat for which license and registration are sought and whether it is of a long- or short-haired variety and also the name, street and post office address of the owner and the person who shall keep or harbor such cat. The information on said application and the registration number issued for the cat shall be preserved for a period of three years by the Township Clerk.
E. 
License forms and tags. License forms and official tags shall be furnished by the Township and shall be numbered serially and shall bear the year of issuance and the name of Allamuchy Township.
F. 
Evidence of inoculation with rabies vaccine or certificate of exemption. The Township shall not grant any such license and official registration tag for any cat unless the owner thereof provides evidence that the cat to be licensed and registered has been inoculated with a rabies vaccine of a type approved by and administered in accordance with the recommendations of the United States Department of Agriculture and the United States Department of Human Services and that the rabies inoculation will not expire during the current licensing year or has been certified exempt as provided by § 85-24B of this article. The rabies inoculation shall be administered by a duly licensed veterinarian or by such other veterinarian permitted by law to do the same.
G. 
Any person applying for a cat license, registration and registration tag shall pay the Township animal licensing official the sum of $10 for each license and registration tag for spayed/ neutered cats, plus any additional late fees if applicable; if a cat is unspayed/unneutered, the license and registration fee shall be $15, plus any additional late fees if applicable. Each license and tag shall be renewed annually and, for each annual renewal, the person applying shall pay the same fee for the license and registration tag as hereinabove provided. The licensing year shall run from January 1 of each year and continue to December 31 of the current year. For any application made after January 31, an additional $5 per month, per cat, shall be added to the application fee. Proof of rabies inoculation showing that the inoculation will not expire during the current licensing year, as well as proof of spayed/neutering, must be presented when applying for a license.
[Amended 5-21-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-05; 8-19-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-12; 11-29-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-15]
H. 
Fees for renewal; expiration date of license.
(1) 
The fee for the renewal of a license and registration tag shall be the same as for the original, and said license, registration tag or renewal thereof shall expire on the last day of January in the year following the year it was issued.
(2) 
Only one license or registration tag shall be required in the licensing year for any cat in Allamuchy Township. Any valid New Jersey license tag issued by a New Jersey municipality shall be accepted by the Township as evidence of compliance.
I. 
Duplicate license. If a license tag has been misplaced or lost, the cat licensing official may issue a duplicate license for that particular cat at a fee of $1.
J. 
Proof of licensing. Proof of licensing shall be produced by any person owning, keeping, maintaining or harboring a cat upon the request of any health official, police officer, animal control officer or other authorized person.
K. 
Interfering with persons performing duties under this article. No person shall hinder, molest or interfere with anyone authorized or empowered to perform any duty under this article.
L. 
Disposition of fees collected.
(1) 
License fees and other moneys collected or received under the provisions of this article shall be forwarded to the Treasurer and shall be placed in a special account separate from any of the other accounts of the Township and shall be used for the following purposes only:
(a) 
Collecting, keeping and disposing of cats liable for seizure.
(b) 
Local prevention and control of rabies.
(c) 
Providing antirabies treatment under the direction of the Township Council and/or any individual acting as an agent of the Township of Allamuchy for any person known or suspected to have been exposed to rabies.
[Amended 5-21-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-05]
(d) 
Administering the provisions of this article.
(2) 
Any unexpected balance remaining in such special account shall be retained until the end of the third fiscal year following and may be used for any of the purposes set forth in Subsection L(1). At the end of said 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 Township any amount then in such account which is in excess of the total amount paid into the special account during the last two fiscal years next preceding.
Where it has been determined that a person has been bitten by a cat, the individual, or his parent or guardian if he is a minor, shall immediately notify the Township. When the owner or keeper of any cat is notified by the Township that the cat has bitten an individual, the owner or keeper of the cat shall comply with the following procedures:
A. 
The owner or keeper of the cat shall have the cat examined by a licensed veterinarian within 12 hours, unless the cat has a current rabies vaccination.
B. 
The owner or keeper of the cat shall have the cat kept in quarantine in the owner's home or at a kennel at the direction of the authorized agent of the Township Council and/or any individual acting as an agent of the Township of Allamuchy for a period of 10 days, unless the cat has a current rabies vaccination. The unvaccinated cat must be quarantined under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian for a period of 10 days, the cost of which is to be borne by the owner or harborer.
[Amended 5-21-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-05]
C. 
At the end of 10 days, the owner or keeper of the cat shall have the unvaccinated cat reexamined by a veterinarian and a written report of the cat's state of health sent to the Township Council and/or any individual acting as an agent of the Township of Allamuchy.
[Amended 5-21-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-05]
D. 
Where the cat dies for any reason within the quarantine period, the owner or keeper shall be responsible for obtaining the head of the animal and transporting the head to the State Department of Health. In lieu thereof, the owner may request that the Township transport the head of the animal and shall pay the Township a fee of $100, which will cover all transportation expenses incurred by the Township in providing this service.
[Amended 4-20-1998 by Ord. No. 2-98]
A. 
No person shall permit or suffer any cat owned by that person to run at large at any time within the limits of the Township of Allamuchy. For purposes of this section, the term "running at large" shall be defined to be the presence of a cat at any place except upon the premises of the owner, if any. A cat shall not be considered to be running at large if it is under the control of a person who is present and physically able to control it.
B. 
The Animal Control Officer of the Township of Allamuchy, at the expense of the owner or in accordance with the procedures and fees established in § 85-14D hereof, shall apprehend or impound any cat:
(1) 
Which is running at large in the Township and is found off the premises of the owner or person harboring the cat about which the Animal Control Officer has received a complaint;
(2) 
Which is fierce, dangerous or has vicious propensities or which is noticeably affected with rabies or which has been bitten by an animal suspected of having rabies;
(3) 
Which is female and in season and found off the premises of the owner or person harboring the cat about which the Animal Control Officer has received a complaint; or
(4) 
Which is loud, disturbing and about which the Animal Control Officer has received a complaint.
C. 
Jurisdiction; entry upon premises for seizure. The Animal Control Officer or his agent or agents shall have the authority, where deemed reasonably necessary by the Animal Control Officer or his agent or agents, to enter upon any public or private property within the Township in order to enforce the provisions of this article. Where the Animal Control Officer or his agent or agents is in immediate pursuit of any cat which may be lawfully seized and impounded under this article, such person(s) shall have the authority to enter upon the premises of the owner of such cat.
D. 
Any cat seized under this section shall be handled and disposed of with proper notice given as required by N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.16.
E. 
Exceptions. This section shall not apply to farm cats, as that term is defined in § 85-22 hereof.
[Amended 5-15-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-06]
Except as otherwise provided in this article, any person who violates or who fails or refuses to comply with this article shall be liable to a penalty according to the provisions of § 1-15, the general penalty provision, of the Township Code of the Township of Allamuchy.