[G.O. No. 596, § 1; G.O. No. 778, § 1; G.O. No. 978, § 1; G.O. No. 1044, § 1; G.O. No. 1161, § 1; G.O. No. 1322, § 1; G.O. No. 1364, § 1; G.O. No. 1540, § I; amended 11-12-2008 by G.O. No. 1924]
The fee to be paid annually for a dog license is hereby fixed at $14.80 per year. This fee shall be in addition to the fee charged for registration tag for each dog as provided for by state statute. Such license shall be obtained in the month of January of each year. In the event that such license shall be obtained subsequent to the month of January for a dog which was in the possession of an owner resident in Westfield during such month of January, there shall be an additional late charge made in the amount of $8.
[G.O. No. 596, § 2; amended 11-12-2008 by G.O. No. 1924]
Duplicate tags shall be issued upon proof satisfactory to the Town Clerk of the loss of the original tag, and the payment to the Town Clerk of the sum of $5 for each duplicate tag.
[G.O. No. 596, § 3]
If any resident of the Town shall deliver to the dog warden in charge of the pound any dog owned by such resident and request the dog warden to kill such dog and pay the dog warden $1, the dog warden shall accept such dog and kill the same in the manner prescribed for the killing of impounded dogs and dispose of the carcass thereof. This provision is in addition to the provisions of Sections 4:19-15.1 to 4:19-15.29 of the Revised Statutes, concerning the destruction of dogs.
[G.O. No. 596, § 4; G.O. No. 834, § 1; G.O. No. 1476, § I]
No dog, whether licensed or not, shall be permitted to run at large within the Town or to leave the premises of the person who owns or is entitled to the custody of such dog unless securely held by a leash not more than seven feet long in the hands of a person able to control it. No person owning, keeping or harboring a dog shall permit it to violate the foregoing provisions, nor suffer such dog to do any injury or damage to any lawn, shrubbery, flowers, grounds or property or persons other than the owner or person having the care, custody or control of such dog, nor suffer it to commit any nuisance on the lands of another. Any person owning, keeping or harboring such dog or if any provisions of this section have been violated shall be deemed guilty of a violation thereof, and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $50 for each offense.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 6-5.1 was repealed by Ord. No. 1270.
[G.O. No. 596, § 5]
The term "vicious dog," as used in this division, is hereby defined to mean and include any dog which has attacked or bitten any human being or which habitually attacks other dogs or domestic animals.
[G.O. No. 596, § 5]
It shall be the duty of the chief or acting chief of the Police Department to receive and investigate complaints against dogs that are alleged to be vicious. If, upon investigation, such officer shall deem any such dog to be vicious within the meaning of this section, it shall be his duty to report the facts to the municipal Magistrate, who shall thereupon cause the owner of such dog or person who harbors the same, whether such dog be licensed or not, to be notified in writing of the complaint and required to answer it at a stated time and place.
At such time and place, the municipal Magistrate shall inquire into the facts giving all interested persons opportunity to be fully heard under oath, and to be represented by counsel. If, after such hearing, the municipal Magistrate shall determine that the dog complained of is a vicious dog within the meaning of this section, he shall so notify the owner of such dog or the person who harbors it, and in case it shall have appeared upon the hearing that such dog has bitten a human being he may direct that the dog shall be placed in the custody of the health officer to be impounded by him for observation under the provisions of Title 26, Chapter 4, Article 7 of the Revised Statutes.
[G.O. No. 596, § 5]
No dog that has been determined to be a vicious dog shall be permitted to leave the premises of the person who owns or harbors it unless it shall be securely muzzled as well as held by a leash. Any person who shall permit any such vicious dog owned, kept or harbored by him to go upon any street or public place of the Town or upon any premises other than those owned or occupied by him, unless such dog shall be securely muzzled and held by a leash, shall be deemed guilty of a violation of this section, and shall immediately deliver up such dog to the dog warden to be destroyed. If such person so convicted shall fail or refuse so to deliver up such vicious dog to the dog warden to be destroyed, he shall be punished by a fine of $50 and the Magistrate shall certify the fact of such conviction to the dog warden, who is hereby authorized, upon receiving from the Magistrate such certificate, to enter for that purpose upon any premises where such dog may be found and forthwith destroy such dog, any provision of this article for retaining captured dogs in the pound to the contrary in anywise notwithstanding.