As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
ABANDONED CAT
A cat of any age which is left unattended and at large for
a period of 72 hours or more.
ANIMAL CONTROL AUTHORITY
Any person or agency certified by the State of New Jersey
and designated by the Township of Mine Hill to enforce the provisions
of this article.
CAT
Any member of the feline species regardless of age or sex.
CAT OF LICENSING AGE
Any cat which has attained the age of seven months or which
possesses a set of permanent teeth.
CATTERY
Any room or group of rooms, cage or exhibition pen, not a
part of a kennel, wherein cats for sale are kept or displayed.
LICENSING AUTHORITY
The Township Clerk or other official designated by the Township
Council to administer the issuance of 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, includes any
person or business establishment having a right of property in, or
custody of, such cat and any person or business establishment having
such a cat in his/her/its keeping or harboring or maintaining a cat
or knowingly permitting a cat to remain on or about any property occupied
by that person or business establishment. Any person or business establishment
that regularly feeds, shelters, or cares for a cat shall be deemed
the owner of that cat.
[Added 12-5-2002 by Ord. No. 14-02]
PUBLIC NUISANCE
Any cat causing the destruction of private or public property,
or injury to a person or to another domestic animal, creating a threat
to public health, safety, or welfare, causing damage to or defecating
on any lawn, shrubbery, flowers, grounds, trees, or otherwise interfering
with the enjoyment of property shall be declared a public nuisance.
[Amended 12-5-2002 by Ord. No. 14-02]
STRAY CAT
A cat having no known owner, custodian, identification or
known place of care or shelter.
No person shall own, keep, harbor or maintain any cat over seven
months of age within the Township of Mine Hill unless such cat is
vaccinated and licensed. The provisions of this section do not apply
to cats held in a cattery, or those held by state or federally licensed
research facilities or a veterinary establishment where cats are received
or kept for diagnostic, medical, surgical or other treatments, or
licensed animal shelters, pounds, kennels, or pet shops.
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 in §
145-20.
A certificate of vaccination shall be issued to the owner of
each cat vaccinated on a form recommended by the state.
Any cat may be exempted from the requirements of such vaccination
for a specified period of time by the Animal Control Authority, upon
presentation of a veterinarian's certificate stating that because
of an infirmity or other physical condition, or regiment of therapy,
the inoculation of such cat shall be deemed inadvisable.
Proof of licensing shall be produced by any person owning, keeping,
maintaining or harboring a cat, upon request of any health official
or other authorized person.
No person shall hinder, molest or interfere with anyone authorized
or empowered to perform any duty under this article.
License fees and other monies collected or received under the
provisions of this article as they pertain to cat licensing shall
be forwarded to the Municipal Finance Officer of the Township of Mine
Hill and shall be placed in the current fund.