[Ord. 06-2013-583, 6/13/2013, § 201]
It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog, cat, cow, swine, sheep, goat, or any other domestic animal owned by him or them to allow or permit such animals to run at large in the Township.
[Ord. 06-2013-583, 6/13/2013, § 202]
It shall be the duty of the Animal Control Officer to seize and detain any dog or cat which is found running at large, either upon the public streets or highways of the Township or upon the property of a person other than the owner of the dog, and unaccompanied by the owner or keeper. Any police officer or Animal Control Officer may seize any dog or cat found running at large in the Township. Such dogs or cats are to be impounded at a facility contracted by the Township.
[Ord. 06-2013-583, 6/13/2013, § 203]
The Animal Control Officer or the Chief of Police or his agents shall cause any dog bearing a proper license tag or permanent identification and so seized and detained to be properly kept and fed at any licensed kennel for those purposes and shall cause immediate notice, by personal service or registered or certified mail with return receipt requested, to the last known address, which shall be set forth on the license application record, of the person in whose name the license was procured, or his agent, to claim the dog within five days after receipt thereof. The owner or claimant of a dog so detained shall pay a penalty of $50 to the Township and all reasonable expenses incurred by reason of its detention to the detaining parties before the dog is returned. If five days after obtaining the postal return receipt, the dog has not been claimed, the Animal Control Officer shall dispense of the dog by sale or by giving it to a humane society or association for the prevention of cruelty to animals.
[Ord. 06-2013-583, 6/13/2013, § 204]
Except as provided by the Dog Law, 3 P.S. § 459-305, the Animal Control Officer shall cause any unlicensed dog to be seized, detained, kept and fed for a period of 48 hours at any licenses kennel approved for those purposes, except any dog seriously ill or injured or forfeited with the owner's permission. The forty-eight-hour period shall not include days the approved kennel is not open to the general public. Any person may view the detained dogs during normal business hours, Any unlicensed dogs remaining unclaimed after 48 hours may be humanely killed or given to a humane society or association for the prevention of cruelty to animals. No dog so caught and detained shall be sold for the purpose of vivisection, or research, or be conveyed in any manner for these purposes.
[Ord. 06-2013-583, 6/13/2013, § 205]
Dogs that, in the opinion of any police officer or Animal Control Officer, constitute a threat to public health and welfare may be killed by the police or Animal Control Officer.
[Ord. 06-2013-583, 6/13/2013, § 206]
1.
Any person may kill any dog which he sees in the act of pursuing or wounding or killing any domestic animal, wounding or killing other dogs, cats or household pets, or pursuing, wounding, or attacking human beings whether or not such a dog bears the license tag required by the provisions of the State Dog Law. There shall be no liability on such person in damages or otherwise for such killing. The Animal Control Officer may humanely kill any dog found running at large and is deemed after due consideration by the Animal Control Officer to constitute a threat to public health and welfare.
2.
The provisions of this section shall not apply to licensed dogs when accompanied by their owner or handler, unless caught in the act of pursuing, wounding, or killing any domestic animal, wounding or killing any dogs, cats or household pets, or pursuing, wounding or attacking human beings.
[Ord. 06-2013-583, 6/13/2013, § 207]
Any dog that enters any field or enclosure where domestic animals are confined, provided that the enclosure is adequate for the purpose intended, shall constitute a private nuisance, and the owner or tenant of such field, or their agent or servant, may detain such dog and turn it over to Township Police. While so detained, the dog will be treated in a humane manner.
[Ord. 06-2013-583, 6/13/2013, § 208]
1.
The first two times a dog is seized, the owner shall pay a fee of $50 to the Township as well as reasonable fees for keeping the animal in a kennel.
2.
Any person allowing an animal to run at large in violation of this Part may, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $300 and/or to imprisonment for a term not to exceed 90 days.