[Adopted 7-28-2009 by Ord. No. MC-4491 (Ch. 210, Art. VI,
of the 1987 Code)]
For the purpose of this article, the following terms shall have
the meanings set forth in this section. When not inconsistent with
the context, words used in the present tense include the future, words
in the plural number include the singular, words in the singular number
include the plural, and words in the male gender include the female
gender.
Any person employed or appointed by the municipality who
is authorized to investigate violations of laws and regulations concerning
animals and to issue citations and make arrests in accordance with
New Jersey law and municipal ordinance.
Any person who provides food, water, shelter or necessary
medical care to or otherwise cares for an animal or feral cat colony
and any person who has an animal in his or her care, custody or control.
Straight-line cutting of the tip of the left ear of a cat
while the cat is anesthetized for the purpose of identifying cats
in a colony.
A cat who currently exists in a wild or untamed state and
has no interaction with humans.
A group of cats that congregates. Although not every cat
in a colony may be feral, any nonferal cats that routinely congregate
with a colony shall be deemed to be a part of it once it has been
impounded at the municipal animal shelter for the state-required seven
days as a stray and released back into the colony.
Disturbing the peace by:
Shelter that provides protection from rain, sun, and other
elements and is adequate to protect the health of the cat.
Trap, neuter and return.
A program pursuant to which cats are trapped or physically
captured, neutered or spayed, vaccinated against rabies, eartipped
and returned to the current location where they congregate.
A.
Feral cat colonies shall be permitted, and the caregiver/owner shall
be entitled to maintain them in accordance with the terms and conditions
of this article.
B.
Animal control requirements. It shall be the duty of the Bureau of
Animal Control to:
(1)
Conduct a thorough review to determine if the caregiver/owner has the capability to meet the requirements of § 188-53C;
(2)
Help to resolve any complaints over the conduct of a colony caregiver/owner
or of cats within a colony;
(3)
Maintain records provided by colony caregiver's/owner's
on the size and location of the colonies as well as the vaccination
and spay/neuter records and electronic animal identification device
(EAID) number of cats in the caregiver's/owner's colonies;
(4)
Adhere to the protocols incorporated by reference herein.
C.
Feral cat caregiver/owner requirements. The caregiver/owner is responsible
for the following:
(1)
Submitting the feral cat colony for registration with the Department
of Code Enforcement's Animal Control Division;
(2)
Taking steps that are reasonably likely to result in the vaccination
of the colony population for rabies and making reasonable efforts
to update the vaccinations on cats that can be recaptured;
(3)
Taking steps that are reasonably likely to result in the spaying/neutering,
by a licensed veterinarian, of at least 90% of the colony population.
In facilitating the spaying/neutering of cats, caregivers/owners shall
be presumed to have acted in good faith in concluding that cats routinely
congregating within the colony are feral;
(4)
Providing the Bureau of Animal Control with descriptions of each
cat in the colony and copies of documents evidencing that the cats
have been vaccinated and spayed/neutered;
(5)
Providing daily food, water and, if feasible, suitable shelter for
colony cats;
(6)
Observing the colony cats at least twice per week and keeping a record
of any illnesses or unusual behavior noticed in any colony cats;
(7)
Obtaining proper medical attention to any colony cat that appears
to require it;
(8)
Obtaining the written approval of the owner of any property, to which
the caregiver/owner requires access to provide colony care;
(9)
In the event that kittens are born to a colony cat, taking reasonable
steps likely to result in the removal of the kittens from the colony
after they have been weaned and the placement of the kittens in a
municipal animal shelter for the seven-day stray period required by
the state before the animals are placed in homes or foster homes for
the purpose of subsequent permanent placement;
(10)
Making reasonable efforts to find permanent inside homes for
colony cats who exhibit the potential for acclimating to such a placement;
(11)
Reporting biannually, in writing, to the Bureau of Animal Control
on the status of the colony, including data on the number and gender
of all cats in the colony, the number of cats that died or otherwise
ceased being a part of the colony during the year; the number of kittens
born to colony cats and their disposition and the number of cats and
kittens placed in permanent homes as companion cats.
D.
Colony cat requirements.
(1)
The left ear of a colony cat that has been spayed or neutered and
vaccinated shall be ear tipped.
(2)
An electronic animal identification device (EAID) shall be inserted
into the cat by a veterinarian in accordance with professional medical
standards. The caregiver/owner shall be the named contact for purposes
of the EAID and provide the EAID number to the Bureau of Animal Control.
(3)
No animal trapped or impounded by Animal Control due to a resident
complaint may be released into a feral colony.
(4)
No animal may be relocated into a feral cat colony more than three
City blocks from the actual location that the cat was trapped.
(5)
Only animals from the City of Camden may be introduced into a feral
cat colony in the City of Camden.
E.
Disposition of colony cats.
(1)
An Animal Control Officer who has trapped a cat whose left ear has
been tipped or who bears some other distinguishing mark indicating
that the cat belongs to a feral cat colony shall scan the cat for
an EAID. If an EAID is found, the Officer shall contact the caregiver/owner
or other person responsible for the cat.
(2)
Once contacted, the caregiver/owner shall be responsible for retrieving
the cat from the ACO, or, if the ACO has delivered the cat to a shelter,
the sponsor shall retrieve the cat from the shelter within seven business
days of notification or shall advise the shelter if the sponsor does
not intend to retrieve the cat. The caretaker/owner will be responsible
for any fees occurred by the municipality for sheltering or medical
attention.
F.
Registration of feral cat colonies.
(1)
The caregiver/owner shall register feral cat colonies in the manner
set forth in this section.
(2)
Upon initial application of an approved caregiver/owner to register a colony, caregiver/owner shall comply with § 188-53C of this article. Following compliance with § 188-53C of this article, the Bureau of Animal Control may grant provisional registration to the preferred colony, entitling the caregiver/owner and the colony to all benefits and protections set forth in this article.
(3)
Within a sixty-day time period following provisional registration,
the caregiver/owner shall follow the required procedures as set forth
in this section with respect to the preferred colony. Upon completion,
the Bureau of Animal Control may grant full registration to the colony
or shall revoke the provisional registration of the colony.
(4)
Feral cat colonies within the municipality that are not registered
by the caregiver/owner, either provisionally or fully, are not entitled
to any benefits or protections set forth in this article.
B.
Notwithstanding § 188-54A, the municipality and the Animal Control Officers are not subject to any notice requirements or time constraints when acting under the direction of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
C.
No provisions in this article are intended to interfere with the
ability of ACO's to comply with N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.16 or other
existing law.
D.
Any caregiver/owner, person, society, agency or humane group which
does not comply with the provisions of this article is subject to
a fine of no less than $50 and not to exceed $1,000. Any caregiver/owner,
person, society, agency or humane group may also have the right to
manage a feral cat colony revoked temporarily or permanently through
court action.
The caregiver/owner of all feral cat colonies formed prior to
the adoption of this article will have 60 days to notify the Bureau
of Animal Control of any and all colonies in the municipality and
180 days to comply with all sections of this article.
A.
Only residents and property owners in the City of Camden may feed
animals outdoors, only on the property they own or reside on and only
during daylight hours. All food outside must be removed and properly
disposed of in sealed receptacle at all other times.
B.
Only residents and property owners in the City of Camden may trap
cats, dogs or other domestic animals and only on the property they
own or reside on. Trapping will only be conducted during the hours
of 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. Monday through Friday; no trapping will
be permitted on holidays, weekends or between the hours of 10:00 p.m.
and 7:00 a.m. Monday through Friday without prior notification given
to Animal Control 24 hours in advance. Traps must be set in an adequate
location to reduce harm to the animal and the public. All traps must
be monitored every hour, and notification shall be made to Animal
Control immediately once an animal is captured. Only humane capture
traps may be used in the City of Camden.
C.
Any person who is not a resident or property owner in the City of
Camden, contractor, society, agency or humane group must register
with the Bureau of Animal Control for prior written approval of any
feeding or trapping. Upon approval, the person, society, agency or
humane group must identify the location of trapping or feeding, the
type of animal sought, the length of time trapping or feeding and
how many animals are at that location and must comply with all other
provisions of this article. Residents and property owners can enlist
the help from outside persons or groups to assist with trapping, spay/neuter,
ear tipping and implantation of electronic animal identification device
(EAID) at the resident's or property owners request.
D.
No person shall impound a stray animal from the City of Camden other
than the appointed Animal Control Officer. Any person that impounds
an animal will be required to pay restitution to the City of Camden
for any charges incurred to the City of Camden by such action.
