[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township
of Robinson as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
[Adopted 11-12-2001 by Ord. No. 3-2001]
A.
This article shall be known and may be cited as the "Dog Ordinance
of the Township of Robinson."
B.
The purpose of this article is to protect the health, safety, and
welfare of the people of the Township as pertains to nuisances and/or
problems from dogs running at large, excessive barking of dogs and
the accumulation of animal excreta.
For the purpose of this article, certain terms and words shall
be interpreted or defined as follows:
A.
Words used in the present tense shall include the future.
B.
Words used in the singular shall include the plural, and the plural
shall include the singular.
C.
The word "person" includes a corporation, as well as an individual
or any other legal entity.
D.
The word "shall" is always mandatory.
E.
The word "owner" includes but is not limited to the present possessor
of the subject animal, as well as and/or in conjunction with the registered
or titled owner of the animal.
It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog or any other person
responsible to said owner, whether the dog bears a proper license
tag or not, to permit such dog to run at large upon the outdoor area
of any public or private property in Robinson Township.
A.
It shall be unlawful for any person to confine a dog in an open-air
enclosure, including a fenced yard or on a tether or related fixture,
where the dog's barking may disturb the quiet of the neighborhood
after 10:00 p.m. or before 6:00 a.m. prevailing time. Said dog shall
be confined within a relatively soundproof building with closed doors
and windows during those hours so that any barking will not annoy,
disturb, injure or endanger the comfort, repose, peace or safety of
any individual in the Township.
B.
It shall be unlawful for any owner or persons responsible to said
owner to permit the continual barking of any dog or dogs at any times.
"Continual barking" shall mean the barking of any dog wherein the
barking is repeated on more than three occasions during any ten-minute
period.
It shall be unlawful for any person owning, keeping or walking
any dog to permit his or her dog to discharge such animal's excreta
upon any public or private property within the Township, other than
the property of the owner of such dog, if such person does not immediately
thereafter remove and clean up such animal's excreta from the
public or private property.
It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog to permit the
accumulation of excreta from such dog in a pen or enclosure, including
a yard, or at any place within Robinson Township where such accumulation
creates a threat to the health of any person or the odor therefrom
pollutes the air inhaled by any neighbor or other person.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
Any person who violates or permits a violation of this article
shall, upon being found liable therefor in a civil enforcement proceeding
commenced by the Township before a Magisterial District Judge, pay
a fine of not less than $25 nor more than $600, plus all court costs,
including reasonable attorneys' fees, incurred by the Township in
the enforcement of this article. If the defendant neither pays nor
timely appeals the judgment, the Township may enforce the judgment
pursuant to the applicable Rules of Civil Procedure. Each day a violation
exists shall constitute a separate offense. Further, the appropriate
officers or agents of the Township are hereby authorized to seek equitable
relief, including injunction, to enforce compliance herewith.
[Adopted 8-10-2015 by Ord. No. 6-2015]
This article shall be known as the "Robinson Township Stray
and Feral Cat Ordinance."
For the purpose of this article, the words and phrases set forth
in this section shall be construed as defined herein:
Any cat when it is off the property of its owner and not
restrained by a competent person.
A member of the species Felis catus.
Any homeless, wild or untamed cat.
To apprehend, catch, trap, or net any cat by the Animal Control
Officer or authorized local agency.
Any person, group of persons, firms or corporation owning,
keeping or harboring a cat or cats.
Any cat whose owner or keeper from time to time allows the
cat to run free off the property of the owner or keeper.
Individuals who feed and/or maintain shelter for feral cats
shall be considered the animal's owner and responsible for all
required immunizations, as well as spaying/neutering of such feral
cat, in addition to other municipal ordinances, including fines and
penalties that govern the activities of animals that are considered
pets.
It shall be unlawful for any owner of any cat to permit such
cat to run free outside the residence of its owner or keeper unless
said cat has been:
It shall be unlawful for any person to feed feral cats if such
feeding causes a nuisance to neighbors or creates a condition contrary
to the health, safety, and welfare of the community.
The keeping of any cats in such a manner so as to create offensive
odors, excessive noise or to cause any unhealthy condition, interfere
with the normal use and enjoyment of human or animal life, or interfere
with the normal use and enjoyment of the properties surrounding the
property on which the cats are kept shall be declared to be a public
nuisance and, as such, be unlawful.
A.
It shall be the duty of every Animal Control Officer or authorized
agency to seize, detain and impound any cat which is running at large
either upon the public streets, highways, alleys or public grounds.
B.
The removal of any cat which is running at large on private property
shall be the responsibility of the private property owner and not
the Township.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
Any person who violates or permits a violation of this article
shall, upon being found liable therefor in a civil enforcement proceeding
commenced by the Township before a Magisterial District Judge, pay
a fine of not less than $25 nor more than $600, plus all court costs,
including reasonable attorneys' fees, incurred by the Township in
the enforcement of this article. If the defendant neither pays nor
timely appeals the judgment, the Township may enforce the judgment
pursuant to the applicable Rules of Civil Procedure. Each day a violation
exists shall constitute a separate offense. Further, the appropriate
officers or agents of the Township are hereby authorized to seek equitable
relief, including injunction, to enforce compliance herewith.
The provisions of this article are declared to be severable,
and if any provision of this article shall for any reason be held
to be invalid, such invalidity shall not affect the article as a whole
or any other part or part thereof.
Any and all ordinances and/or resolutions, or parts thereof,
conflicted herewith are repealed insofar as the matters herein are
affected.
This article shall become effective five days after enactment.
