[Adopted 9-26-2013 by Ord. No. 08:18-13]
Every person who shall own, keep or harbor any dog or dogs,
either male or female, within the boundaries of the Borough of Bellmawr
shall have the same registered and numbered with the Borough Clerk
and shall place upon each dog so registered a tag having the registration
number engraved thereon.
It shall be the duty of the Borough Clerk to provide a book for the purpose of registering the owner's name of every dog and the number, numbering them in the order of the owner's applying for such registration and giving to each person information of the registered number thereof. The person applying for such registration shall pay the sum as provided in Chapter 210, Fees, for each dog thus registered, which shall be deposited in the proper Borough fund.
A.
Every person who shall own, keep or harbor a dog of licensing age within the limits of the Borough of Bellmawr shall, as provided in Article 2, Chapter 19, Title 4, of the Revised Statutes of New Jersey, as amended and supplemented (N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.1 et seq.), apply for and procure from the Borough Clerk a license and official metal registration tag for such dog and pay for said license a fee as provided in Chapter 210, Fees, except that dogs used as guides for blind persons and commonly known as "Seeing 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 without the owner or keeper of such dog being required to pay any fee therefor.[1]
B.
At the time of applying for the license and registration tag provided for in Subsection A, the applicant shall also pay any additional fee or fees imposed by statute for the benefit of a special fund or funds pertaining to dogs, such fee or fees to be disposed of as provided by statute.
C.
Any person, firm or corporation who or which shall keep, possess
or have custody and control of four or more dogs or cats, or any combination
thereof amounting to four, but not including newborn dogs or cats
less than six months of age, within the territorial jurisdiction of
this Borough shall be deemed to be maintaining a kennel, pet shop,
shelter or pound and shall be required to obtain any and all state,
county and municipal licenses and permits and to submit to the rules,
regulations and jurisdiction of those bodies politic.
(1)
Any person, firm or corporation wishing to keep, possess or have
custody and control of a fourth dog under this section may make application
to the Board of Health of the Borough of Bellmawr which, after the
appropriate investigation, will make a recommendation to the Borough
Council of the Borough of Bellmawr as to whether a permit should issue
to the applicant to keep, possess or have custody and control of a
fourth dog.
(2)
In no case shall a permit issue under this section that would authorize
the issuance of a permit to an applicant to keep, possess or have
custody and control of a fifth or greater number of dogs.
D.
Every person who shall own, keep or harbor any dog or dogs, either male or female, within the boundaries of the Borough of Bellmawr which have been adjudicated to be potentially dangerous dogs by the Municipal Court of the Borough of Bellmawr, or by any court of competent jurisdiction within the State of New Jersey, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 4:19-24, shall apply for and procure from the Borough Clerk a license and official red metal registration tag for such dog and pay for said license a fee as provided in Chapter 210, Fees. Additionally, the applicant shall also pay any additional fee or fees imposed by statute for the benefit of a special fund or funds pertaining to dogs, such fee or fees to be disposed of as provided by statute.[2]
No person or persons shall hinder or molest any person or persons
who may be engaged in the carrying into effect of any of the provisions
of this article.
Any person in the Borough who owns, keeps or harbors any vicious dog or dogs in such manner that such dog or dogs shall become a menace to public safety shall be deemed disorderly and liable to arrest on such charge; provided, however, that he or she shall have received notice in writing three days before any issue of summons or warrant to forthwith abate such public menace. Failure to obey this section will cause the owner of such vicious dog as above mentioned to be subject to the penalty imposed in § 137-17.
Any person who violates any provision of this article shall,
upon conviction thereof, be punishable by a fine of not more than
$2,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 90 days or a period
of community service not exceeding 90 days, or any combination thereof.
