For the purpose of this article, the terms used herein are defined
as follows:
Off the premises of the owner and not under the control of
the owner or members of the owner's family, either by leash, cord,
chain or otherwise.
Both male and female, bitch or spayed bitch.
Any dog which has attained the age of seven months or which
possesses a set of permanent teeth.
Any person or persons, firm, partnership, association, corporation
or organization of any kind who owns or has a right of property in
such dog.
Any person or persons, firm, partnership, association, corporation
or organization of any kind.
Any room or group of rooms, cage or exhibition pen, not part
of a kennel, wherein dogs for sale are kept or displayed.
Any establishment for the confinement of dogs, seized either
under the provisions of this chapter, the statutes of the State of
New Jersey or otherwise.
Any person who shall own, keep or harbor a dog of licensing
age in the Township of Washington shall, in the month of January in
each year, apply for and procure from the Township Clerk of the Township
of Washington a license and official metal registration tag for each
such dog so owned, kept or harbored and shall place upon each dog
a collar or harness with the registration tag securely fastened thereto.
A.
License fee; registration tag fee.
[Amended 12-3-1992 by Ord. No. 1992-8; 6-14-2011 by Ord. No. 2011-03]
(1)
The sum to be paid annually for a dog license shall be the sum of
a license fee of $10 (maximum permitted by the state is $21) and the
registration fee currently in effect by the State of New Jersey.
(2)
License fees shall not be prorated.
(3)
A late payment in the amount of $5.80 shall be charged in addition
to the current fees for each license renewed after 30 days after the
dog rabies clinic in a licensing year.
(4)
In
addition to the aforesaid license fee, there shall be collected, from
each person licensing a dog, a dog registration tag fee, payable to
the State of New Jersey in accordance with N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.3, of
$3 for any dog of reproductive age which has not had its reproductive
capacity permanently altered through sterilization, which fee shall
be forwarded to the State Treasurer pursuant to P.L. 1983, Chapter
172, for deposit in the Animal Population Control Fund, and a fee
of $0.20, to be forwarded to the State Treasurer pursuant to P.L.
1983, Chapter 181, for deposit in the Pilot Clinic Fund.
B.
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 hereinbefore provided. The licensing year
shall run from the 31st day of January of the year or issuance to
the 31st day of January of the following year.
C.
Dogs used as guides for visually impaired persons and commonly known
as "Seeing Eye" dogs shall be licensed and registered as other dogs
hereinbefore provided for, except that the owner or keeper of such
dog shall not be required to pay any fee therefor.
No license to own, keep or harbor a dog shall be issued to or
in the name of a minor.
The application form furnished by the Township Clerk shall be
signed by the owner or keeper of the dog and shall state the breed,
sex, age, color and markings of the dog for which the license and
registration are sought, whether it is of a long-haired or short-haired
variety, the name, state and post office address of the owner and
the person who shall keep or harbor such dog.
Any dog owned in New Jersey, duly licensed for the current licensing
year and bearing the proper registration tag for a New Jersey municipality,
shall be exempt from the licensing and tag provisions of this article.
Any person who shall bring or cause to be brought into the Township
of Washington any dog licensed in a state other than New Jersey for
the current licensing year, and shall keep the same in said Township
of Washington for a period of more than 90 days, shall immediately
apply for a license and registration tag for such dog.
Any person who shall bring or cause to be brought into the Township
of Washington any unlicensed dog, and shall keep the same in said
Township for a period of more than 10 days, shall immediately apply
for a license and registration tag for such dog.
The owner or keeper of any newly acquired dog of licensing age
or of any dog which attains licensing age shall apply for a license
and registration tag for such dog within 10 days after such acquisition
or age attainment.
No dog shall run at large at any time within the limits of the
Township of Washington.
No dog shall be permitted off the premises of the person owning,
keeping or harboring it unless accompanied by a person who is capable
of controlling it and who has the dog securely confined and controlled
by an adequate leash or chain not more than six feet long.
No person owning, keeping or harboring a dog shall permit or
suffer it to do any injury or damage to any lawn, shrubbery, flowers,
grounds or property of persons other than the owner or person having
the care, custody or control of such dog.
The Township Committee shall have the power to enter into a
contract with one or more persons for the exercise of the duty of
Dog Catcher, Dog Warden or Poundmaster to enforce the provisions of
this article.
The Township Committee of the Township of Washington shall annually
cause a canvass to be made of all dogs owned, kept or harbored within
the limits of the Township of Washington in accordance with N.J.S.A.
4:19-15.15 and make reports required under said statues.
A.
It shall be the duty of the constable, contractor, Dog Catcher, Dog
Warden or Poundmaster appointed, to enforce the provisions of this
article and to take into custody and impound, or cause to be taken
into custody and impounded, the following:
(1)
Any dog running at large in the Township of Washington.
(2)
Any dog off the premises of the owner or of the person keeping or
harboring the dog, which dog said official or his agent or agents
have reason to believe is a stray dog.
(3)
Any dog off the premises of the owner or of the person keeping or
harboring the dog, which dog is not controlled by a leash or chain
as provided by this article.
(4)
Any dog with fierce, dangerous or vicious propensities or noticeably
infected with rabies or bitten by a dog suspected of having rabies.
(5)
Any dog off the premises of the owner or of the person keeping or
harboring said dog without a current registration tag on the dog's
collar.
(6)
Any female dog in season off the premises of the owner or of the
person keeping or harboring said dog.
B.
Dogs may be released from impoundment only after receiving authorization
of release from the Township Clerk during the weekdays and from the
official designated by the Township Committee during the weekend.
Said authorization of release shall be obtained after paying a fee
of $10. If the applicant is seeking to have released a dog previously
impounded, said fee shall be $50 for the second release and $75 for
obtaining the third release within one year.
Any dog seized under this article shall be handled and disposed
of with proper notices given, as required by N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.16.
The Township shall have the authority to provide, by contract
with a carrier, for the impoundment of dogs seized. Maintenance and
redemption fees shall be as set forth in the current contract.
The provisions of this article shall be in addition to the provisions
and penalties of any and all statues of the State of New Jersey relating
to rabies and control of dogs.
[Amended 11-12-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-06]
Any person violating or failing to comply with any of the provisions
of this article shall, upon conviction thereof, be punishable by a
fine of not more than $2,000 or by imprisonment for a term not to
exceed 90 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment, in the discretion
of the Judge. The continuation of such violation for each successive
day shall constitute a separate offense, and the person or persons
allowing or permitting the continuation of the violation may be punished
as provided above for each separate offense.
