[Adopted 3-6-2018 by Ord. No. 18-03]
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ABANDON
Forsake a cat entirely or neglect to provide appropriate care and support for a cat.
ANIMAL
Any live vertebrate creature including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish, but not humans.
ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER
Any person employed or appointed by the Borough who is authorized and certified to investigate violations of laws and regulations concerning animals and to issue citations in accordance with New Jersey law and this article.
ANIMAL RESCUE ORGANIZATION
An individual or group of individuals who, with or without salary or compensation, house, provide necessary medical care for and feed homeless or unlicensed animals in a home or facility, with the intent of placing the animals in a permanent home as soon as one becomes available.
AT-LARGE
When an animal is off the property of its owner and has entered the property of another person without that owner's authorization, or has entered onto public property, street or right-of-way, unless restrained by its owner, or a caretaker, with a leash of no less than six feet in length, or other physical control device, such that the animal is under the physical control of the owner or caretaker. Nothing in this definition is intended to prevent dogs from being on training leashes or retractable leashes or engaging in other appropriate activities under adequate, responsible adult supervision where care is taken to assure control as needed to prevent violations of this article.
CAREGIVER
Any person who provides food, water or shelter to or otherwise cares for a cat and who has been trained and registered as an approved caregiver. Any person who, in accordance with a community cat management/TNR program will work to trap, sterilize, vaccinate for rabies, ear-tip then return free-roaming cats or feral cats to the area in which they were trapped. A caregiver shall not be considered an owner of a community cat. A caregiver shall not possess, keep or harbor a community cat.
CAT OF LICENSING AGE
Any cat, which is not a community cat, reaching the age of seven months or, if age cannot be determined, a cat which possesses a set of permanent adult teeth.
COMMUNITY CAT
Any free-roaming cat, which may or may not be feral, with a caretaker known or unknown. Community cats shall be distinguished from other cats through their ear-tip and sterilization. These cats are exempt from licensing, stray and at-large provisions of this article.
COMMUNITY CAT COLONY
A single community cat or group of community cats that congregate together outside as a unit. Any nonferal cat(s) that congregate with a colony shall be deemed part of it.
EAR TIPPING
The straight-line cutting of the tip of one ear of a cat, while the cat is anesthetized for spaying or neutering.
NUISANCE
Distributing the peace by habitually or continually howling, crying or screaming, or the habitual and significant destruction, desecration or soiling of property against the wishes of the owner of the property.
OWNER
Any person, firm, corporation, partnership, association, trust, estate or any other legal entity.
PROPER SHELTER
A structure that:
A. 
Is sufficiently ventilated and insulated to protect an animal from weather and provide refuge from precipitation, wind, extreme temperature and/or direct sunlight;
B. 
Is fully enclosed with walls on three sides, with a fourth wall having an entranceway large enough to allow the animal to enter and exit comfortably, but not so large as to allow all heat to escape in cold temperatures;
C. 
Has a solid, waterproof roof;
D. 
Has a solid floor that does not sag under the animal's weight;
E. 
Has a door or flap covering the entranceway during temperatures of 40° F. or below;
F. 
Is positioned at a sufficient elevation to prevent water from running into the structure;
G. 
Is small enough to retain the animal's body heat in cold weather and large enough for the animal to stand, turn around and lay down in comfortably;
H. 
Is sturdy, structurally sound and in good repair;
I. 
If it contains bedding, such bedding shall be clean and dry; and
J. 
Is surrounded by an area of at least five feet that is clear of debris, feces and urine.
TNR
Trap, neuter and return.
TNR/TNVR PROGRAM
The Borough's program as set forth in this section pursuant to which community and stray cats are trapped, neutered or spayed, vaccinated against rabies, ear-tipped and returned to the location where they congregate.
TNVR
Trap, neuter, vaccinate (rabies) and return.
A. 
No person shall keep an animal on a property in a manner that causes one or more of the following: unsanitary conditions, infestation by insects or rodents; physical conditions that endanger the health or safety of humans.
B. 
No person shall maintain or feed any animal, domesticated or wild, in a manner that causes one or more of the following: unsanitary conditions; infestation by insects or rodents; physical conditions that endanger the health or safety of humans.
C. 
Community cat colonies shall be permitted, and caregivers shall be entitled to maintain them, in accordance with the terms and conditions of this chapter.
D. 
Trapping of community cats by those who are not community cat caregivers as defined in this article, an animal control officer employed by the municipality, or members of law enforcement, is prohibited unless the person trapping the cats is doing so for the purpose of providing medical attention for a sick or injured cat or for the purpose of TNR/TNVR. Persons who trap free-roaming cats for the purpose of TNR/TNVR must comply with the provisions of this article.
E. 
It shall be unlawful for any person to use inhumane methods to trap cats. Traps and the trapping of cats must meet the following requirements:
(1) 
Traps shall not be left unattended for more than two hours.
(2) 
Traps shall not be left set overnight, unless traps are checked at least every two hours.
(3) 
Traps shall not be left unattended for any length of time in the temperatures below 45° F. or above 90° F.; in rain or snow; or in any other extreme weather.
(4) 
Traps utilized to capture cats shall be humane traps.
(5) 
Any person who is found to be in violation of the provisions of this section shall be subject to a fine not to exceed $250 for each offense.
F. 
No owner or person having temporary custody of any animal shall permit the animal to be, or fail to provide physical control to restrain the animal from being, at-large. A cat shall be considered exempt from this provision if:
(1) 
The ear-tipped cat is part of a community cat management/TNR program in accordance with this article; or
(2) 
An ear-tipped cat, part of a TNR program, without leash is considered walking freely and not considered an animal at-large.
G. 
No person may desert or abandon any animal at any public or private location. The practice of TNR and the provision of care to a community cat in accordance with the provisions of this article do not constitute desertion or abandonment of the community cat. However, the placement of a cat at a community cat colony by a person other than the community cat caregiver constitutes abandonment. Any person who is found to be in violation of the provisions of this section shall be subject to a fine not to exceed $250 for each offense.
A. 
The caregiver shall provide community cats with sufficient food; sufficient water; proper shelter and protection from weather; veterinary care as needed to prevent suffering; and humane care and treatment.
B. 
The caregiver shall exercise reasonable care to guard against the animal creating a nuisance.
A. 
The Borough of Runnemede believes that the safest place for pet domesticated cats is indoors. The Borough of Runnemede also recognizes that feral and community cats, as defined in this chapter, are not, in the majority of cases, suitable to be taken indoors and kept as pets because their home is outdoors. The Borough of Runnemede further recognizes the need for innovation in addressing the issues presented by feral or community cats. To that end, the Borough of Runnemede finds that properly managed community cat colonies are part of the solution to reducing the numbers of feral cats in the Borough of Runnemede and the rate of cats euthanized in area shelters.
B. 
Community cat colonies shall be permitted in the Borough of Runnemede as part of a community cat management/TNR program in accordance with the following provisions.
(1) 
Community cat caregivers must ensure community cats are sterilized, vaccinated against the threat of rabies and ear-tipped, and must cooperate with the Borough of Runnemede to abate any nuisance.
(2) 
The location of community cat colonies must be maintained in compliance with trespassing and property laws.
(3) 
To be exempt from certain provisions of this chapter all cats that are part of an approved TNR/community cat program pursuant to this article must be sterilized, vaccinated against the threat of rabies, and ear-tipped for easy identification. If these requirements are met the community cat is exempted from licensing, stray and at-large provisions of this article.
C. 
Community cat colony material, i.e. shelters, food, water, bowls, plates, and feeding stations, shall be protected from removal, but maintained in a clean fashion.
D. 
An animal control officer who has trapped a cat whose car has been tipped shall release the cat unless the cat is injured or sick and requires medical attention.
E. 
The Borough of Runnemede shall have the following rights:
(1) 
The right to seize or remove cats from a colony which have not been vaccinated against rabies and which are demonstrating signs of the disease.
(2) 
The right to seize or remove a cat from a colony which is creating a nuisance as defined in this article, after the community cat caregiver has been given 60 days to abate the nuisance or remove and relocate the cat and failed to do so.
(3) 
The right to seize or remove a cat or colony of cats when the community caregiver regularly fails to comply with the colony care requirements of this article and the caregiver has not been able to obtain a replacement or substitute caregiver within 30 days of the Borough of Runnemede or animal control officer having given notice to the caregiver. If one or more cats are in danger due to a caregiver's lack of compliance, the caregiver or owner may work with other local caregivers to find a suitable replacement caregiver or relocate the cats.
F. 
The Borough of Runnemede may utilize funds derived from cat licensing fees to pay for spaying/neutering and vaccination of cats in the TNR program.
A. 
An animal control officer who has trapped a cat whose left ear has been tipped or which bears some other distinguishing mark indicating that it belongs to a community cat colony shall transport the cat to the contract municipal shelter, where the cat will be scanned for a microchip. If a registered microchip is found, the registered owner or caregiver will be contacted and advised that the cat is located at the municipal shelter.
B. 
The owner or caregiver shall be responsible for retrieving the cat from the municipal shelter within 10 business days or advising the shelter if the owner or caregiver does not intend to retrieve the cat. If no identification, microchip or information of caregiver is available to the receiving shelter at the minimum of stray hold period of seven days, then it is at the sole discretion of the receiving shelter to determine the outcome of the cat retrieved which may include transfer, euthanasia, foster care, and/or adoption.
C. 
If a trapped community cat is suspected of being rabid, the animal shall be immediately reported to the executive officer of the local Board of Health and to the Department of Health and Senior Services, and shall be quarantined, observed and otherwise handled and dealt with as appropriate for an animal suspected of being rabid or as required by the Department of Health and Senior Services for such animals.
A. 
The requirements of this article notwithstanding, animal control officers and police officers may investigate any nuisance complaint. If an animal control officer determines that an ear-tipped community cat is causing a nuisance as defined by this article, the animal control officer or police officer shall attempt to contact the caregiver or owner. The caregiver or owner shall begin nuisance abatement procedures within 48 hours and make all reasonable efforts to resolve the nuisance as quickly as possible, not to exceed 60 days. If an animal control officer removes a community cat, the receiving municipal shelter or animal control must notify the community cat caregiver and allow the caregiver to retrieve the cat from the pound for adoption or relocation. If an animal control officer or police officer reasonably determines that a cat is injured or poses a significant threat to public health, the officer may reduce the time that the owner or caregiver has to resolve the complaint, as necessary to protect the cat and public health, before taking further action. In the case of an emergency, the animal control officer or police officer may remove the cat, but within 24 hours the animal control officer must provide the caregiver or owner with notice of the cat's whereabouts and allow the caregiver or owner an opportunity to retrieve the cat for treatment, return or relocation.
B. 
Facts to be considered during the nuisance abatement process shall include:
(1) 
Recognition of the value of wildlife;
(2) 
Recognition of the value of TNR in managing community cat colonies; and
(3) 
The availability of devices and strategies to minimize nuisance behavior by community cats that may have caused the complaint.