[Ord. #15-2009, S 1]
For the purpose of this Article, the following terms shall have the meaning set forth in this Section. When not inconsistent with the context, words used in the present tense include the future, words in the plural number include the singular, words in the singular number include the plural, and words in the male gender include the female gender.
ABANDONED
shall mean that an owner or caregiver has forsaken a domesticated cat entirely, or has neglected or refused to provide care and support to the cat.
ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER
shall mean any person employed or appointed by the Borough who is authorized to investigate violations of laws and regulations concerning animals, and to issue citations in accordance with New Jersey law and this Code.
ANIMAL RESCUE GROUP
shall mean a for-profit or not-for-profit entity with at least one of its purposes being the adoption or placement of cats in homes with humans to serve as companion animals.
CAREGIVER
shall mean any person who provides food, water and/or shelter to or otherwise cares for a cat in a colony sponsored under the Article.
DOMESTICATED CAT
shall mean a cat that is socialized to humans and is appropriate as a companion for humans.
EAR-MARKED
shall mean a tagged, notched or tipped left ear as performed by a licensed veterinarian.
FERAL ANIMAL
shall mean, for the purposes of this Article, any non-native animal not under the direct control of an owner or any unlicensed non-native animal where a license is required.
FERAL CAT COLONY
shall mean a group of cats that congregates, more or less, together as a unit which has been sponsored by the Point Pleasant Borough Animal Welfare Committee. Although not every cat in a colony may be feral, any domesticated cats that congregate in a colony shall be deemed to be a part of it until such time when the caregiver places the cat in a proper home.
NUISANCE
shall mean disturbing the peace by (a) habitually or continually howling, crying or screaming, or (b) the destruction, desecration or soiling of property against the wishes of the owner of the property.
OWNER
shall mean any person, firm, corporation, partnership, association, trust, estate, or any other legal entity.
STRAY CAT
shall mean a cat that is off the property of its owner.
SUITABLE SHELTER
shall mean any structure that provides protection from rain, sun, and other elements that protects the health of the cat.
TNR
shall mean Trap, Neuter and Return.
TNR PROGRAM
shall mean a program pursuant to which feral cats are trapped, neutered or spayed, vaccinated against rabies and all other routine diseases, as determined by a licensed veterinarian, and returned to an appropriate colony. Any domesticated cat found as a stray shall be placed in an appropriate home if their owner cannot be located.
ZOONOTIC DISEASE
shall mean those diseases transmitted to humans from animals, including parasitic, bacterial, fungal and viral diseases.
[Ord. #15-2009, S 3]
Feral cat colonies shall be permitted and caregivers shall be entitled to maintain them in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Article.
[Ord. #15-2009, S 3]
It shall be the duty of the sponsor to:
a. 
Review and approve colony caregivers;
b. 
Help to resolve any complaints over the conduct of a colony caregiver or of cats within a colony;
c. 
Maintain records on the size and location of the colonies as well as the vaccination and spay/neuter records of cats in the sponsor's colonies;
d. 
Report monthly to the Borough Animal Control Officer on the following:
1. 
Number of, caregiver of, and location of colonies in the Borough;
2. 
Total number of cats in each colony;
3. 
Number of cats vaccinated, spayed, or neutered pursuant to this Article; and
4. 
Number of cats placed in permanent homes.
e. 
Avoid the taking of rare, threatened or endangered species under the Endangered and Non-game Species Conservation Act, N.J.S.A. 23:2A-1 et seq.
[Ord. #15-2009, S 3]
Caregivers are responsible for the following:
a. 
Registering the feral cat colony with the sponsor.
b. 
Taking steps that result in the vaccination of the colony population as per the requirements of this Article and to update the vaccinations on the colony population;
c. 
Taking steps that result in the spay/neuter of the colony population;
d. 
Providing the sponsor with the descriptions and photo of each cat in the colony and originals of documents evidencing that the cats have been vaccinated and spayed/neutered;
e. 
Providing food, water and, if feasible, shelter for colony cats;
f. 
Observing the colony cats at least twice per week and keeping a record of such visits as well as any illnesses or unusual behavior noticed in any colony cats;
g. 
No colony shall be established without the written approval of the owner of any property, to which the caregiver requires access to provide colony care;
h. 
In the event that kittens are born to a colony cat, the caregiver shall remove the kittens from the colony after they have been weaned, vaccinate and sterilize the cats, and see to the placement of the kittens in homes or foster homes for the purpose of subsequent permanent placement;
i. 
Reporting monthly in writing to the sponsor on the status of the colony, including data on the number and gender of all cats in the colony, the number of cats that died or otherwise ceased being a part of the colony during the year; the number of kittens born to colony cats and their disposition and the number of cats and kittens placed in permanent homes as companion cats; any other information as requested by the sponsor or required by this Article, and
j. 
Obtaining proper medical attention to any colony cat that appears to require it.
[Ord. #15-2009, S 3]
a. 
The left ear of a colony cat that has been spayed or neutered and vaccinated shall be eartipped;
b. 
An electronic animal identification device (EAID) shall be inserted into the cat by a veterinarian in accordance with professional medical standards. The sponsor shall be the named contact for purposes of the EAID;
c. 
Cats not found within the borders of the Borough of Point Pleasant shall not be placed in colonies located within the borders of the municipality;
d. 
No colony may be placed on public property without specific permission of the public body governing such properties.
[Ord. #15-2009, S 3]
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 feral cat colony shall scan the cat for an EAID. If an EAID is found, the officer shall be responsible for contacting the sponsor.
b. 
If the cat does not have an EAID then the Animal Control Officer shall contact the sponsor so the cat can be properly placed. If the cat is obviously a domestic cat the sponsor shall arrange for care for the cat until the owner is located and may determine the disposition of the cat in those circumstances where the domestic cat's owner cannot be located. If the sponsor cannot perform this function, the Animal Control Officer shall take appropriate and humane steps to deal with the cat.
[Ord. #15-2009, S 4]
The Borough Council shall adopt particular regulations from time to time concerning vaccinations, disease control, and the manner in which the TRN Program is conducted.
[Ord. #15-2009, S 5]
The Borough shall have the following rights:
a. 
The right to seize or remove cats from a colony that have not been vaccinated;
b. 
The right to seize or remove a cat from a colony that is creating a nuisance as defined above and the sponsor has been given thirty (30) days to remove and relocate the cat and have failed to do so;
c. 
The right to seize or remove a colony of cats when the caregiver regularly fails to comply with the requirements of this Article and the sponsor has not been able to obtain a replacement or substitute caregiver within thirty (30) days of the Borough's notice to the sponsor of the caregiver's failure to comply with this Article.