[1991 Code § 157-1]
As used in this article:
DOG
Shall mean any dog, bitch or spayed bitch.
DOG OF LICENSING AGE
Shall mean any dog which has attained the age of seven months or which possesses a set of permanent teeth.
KEEPER
Shall mean any person exercising control over a dog or permitting a dog to remain on premises under his control.
KENNEL
Shall mean any establishment wherein or whereon the business of boarding or selling dogs or breeding dogs for sale is carried on, or any premises where more than four dogs are kept, harbored or maintained, except a pet shop.
OWNER
Shall mean when applied to the proprietorship of a dog, shall mean and include every person having the right of property in such dog and every person who has such dog in his keeping.
PET SHOP
Shall mean any room or group of rooms, cage or exhibition pen not part of a kennel, wherein dogs are kept or displayed for sale.
POUND
Shall mean an establishment for the confinement of dogs seized either under the provisions of this article or otherwise.
SHELTER
Shall mean any establishment where dogs are received, housed and distributed without charge.
VICIOUS DOG
Shall mean any dog which has been declared by a Municipal Judge to be a vicious dog which has attacked or bitten any human being or which habitually attacks other dogs or domestic animals.
[1991 Code § 157-2A]
Licenses shall be required for the following dogs of licensing age:
a. 
Any dog owned or kept within the Township by a resident of the Township on January 1 of any calendar year.
b. 
Any dog acquired by any person during the course of any calendar year and kept within the Township for more than 10 days after acquisition.
c. 
Any dog attaining licensing age during the course of the calendar year.
d. 
Any unlicensed dog brought into the Township by any person and kept within the Township for more than 10 days.
e. 
Any dog licensed by another state brought into the Township by any person and kept within the Township for more than 90 days.
[1991 Code § 157-2B; Ord. No. 97-18 § 1]
a. 
Each application for a license under this article shall give the following information:
1. 
A general description of the dog sought to be licensed, including breed, sex, age, color and markings and whether such dog is of a long- or short-haired variety.
2. 
Name, street and post office address of the owner of, and the person who shall keep or harbor, such dog.
b. 
Registration numbers shall be issued in the order in which applications are received.
c. 
Proof of current rabies inoculation.
[1991 Code § 157-2C]
Applications for licenses for dogs which are required to be licensed by the provisions of Subsection 5-2.1a shall be made before February 1 of each calendar year. In all other cases, the application for a license shall be made within 10 days of the day upon which the dog in question first becomes subject to the provisions of this section.
[1991 Code § 157-2D; Ord. No. 02-28 § I(A)]
The information on all applications under this article and the registration number issued to each licensed dog shall be preserved for a period of three years by the Township Clerk. In addition, the Township Clerk shall forward similar information to the State Department of Health each month on forms furnished by the Department.
[1991 Code §§ 157-2E, 165-3; Ord. No. 93-2; Ord. No. 95-19A; Ord. No. 2007-25 § I(B)]
The person applying for a license shall pay a fee as provided below, for each dog, and shall also pay $0.50 for the registration tag for each dog. The same fees shall be charged for the annual renewal of each license and registration tag.
Dog license
Spayed or neutered dogs
$10
All other dogs
$15
Dog license late fee
$1 per month or portion thereof
[1991 Code § 157-2F]
Each dog license and registration tag shall expire on January 31 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which it was issued.
[1991 Code § 157-2G]
The provisions of this section shall not apply to any dog licensed under § 5-16, Pet Shops, Kennels, Shelters and Pounds. Dogs used as guides for blind persons and commonly known as "Seeing Eye" dogs shall be licensed in the same manner as other dogs, except that the owner or keeper shall not be required to pay any fee.
[1991 Code § 157-4; Ord. No. 02-28 § I(B)]
License fees and other moneys collected or received under the provisions of this article, except registration tag fees, shall be forwarded to the Township Treasurer within 30 days after collection or receipt and shall be placed in a special account separate from any of the other accounts of the Township and shall be used for the following purposes only: collecting, keeping and disposing of dogs liable to seizure under this article; local prevention and control of rabies; providing antirabies treatment under the direction of the Health Department for any person known or suspected to have been exposed to rabies; all other purposes prescribed by the Statutes of New Jersey governing the subject, and for administering the provisions of this article. Any unexpended balance remaining in such special account shall be retained therein until the end of the third fiscal year following and may be used for any of the purposes set forth in this section. At the end of the third fiscal year following and at the end of each fiscal year thereafter, there shall be transferred from such special account to the general funds of the Township any amount then in such account which is in excess of the total amount paid into the special account during the last two fiscal years next preceding.
[1991 Code § 157-4; Ord. No. 02-28 § I(B)]
The registration tag fee of $0.50 for each dog shall be forwarded within 30 days after collection by the Township Clerk to the State Department of Health.
[1991 Code § 157-5]
The Township shall annually cause a canvass to be made of all dogs owned, kept or harbored within the limits of the Township and shall report to the Township Clerk, the Health Department and to the State Department of Health the results thereof, setting forth in separate columns the names and addresses of persons owning, keeping or harboring dogs, the number of licensed dogs owned, kept or harbored by each person, together with the registration number of each dog; the number of unlicensed dogs owned, kept or harbored by each person, together with a complete description of each unlicensed dog.
[1991 Code § 157-6A]
It shall be the duty of the Police Department and the Dog Warden to receive and investigate complaints against dogs. If they deem any dog complained of to be a vicious dog, as defined in § 5-1, they shall report their findings in writing to the Judge of the Municipal Court.
[1991 Code § 157-6B; Ord. No. 02-28 § I(A)]
The Judge of the Municipal Court shall notify in writing the owner or keeper of an allegedly vicious dog that a complaint has been made and require such person to appear before the Judge at a stated time and place for a hearing. The Judge shall conduct the hearing in the same manner as the Judge would conduct the trial of a criminal case. If the Judge decides that the dog complained of is a vicious dog, the Judge shall so notify the owner or keeper of the dog.
[1991 Code § 157-6C]
No person owning or keeping a vicious dog shall permit such dog to be off the property of the owner or keeper without being securely muzzled.
[1991 Code § 157-7A]
The Dog Warden shall take into custody and impound or cause to be taken into custody and impounded any of the following dogs:
a. 
Any unlicensed dog running at large in violation of the provisions of this article.
b. 
Any dog off the premises of the owner of or the person keeping or harboring such dog which the Dog Warden or his agent has reason to believe is a stray dog.
c. 
Any dog off the premises of the owner of or the person keeping or harboring such dog without a current registration tag on its collar.
d. 
Any female dog in season off the premises of the owner of or the person keeping or harboring such dog.
e. 
Any dog which has been determined to be a vicious dog as provided in § 5-5, provided that such dogs may also be seized by any Police Officer, and provided further that if such dogs cannot be seized with safety, they may be killed.
[1991 Code § 157-7B; Ord. No. 02-28 § [A]]
Any officer or agent authorized or empowered to perform any duty under this article is hereby authorized to go upon any premises to seize for impounding any dog which the officer or agent may lawfully seize and impound when such officer or agent is in immediate pursuit of such dog, except upon the premises of the owner of the dog if the owner is present and forbids same.
[1991 Code § 157-7C]
a. 
If any dog so impounded or seized wears a registration tag, collar or harness having inscribed thereon or attached thereto the name and address of any person or the owner of or the person keeping or harboring the dog is known, the Dog Warden shall immediately serve on the person whose address is given on the collar, or on the person owning, keeping or harboring the dog, a notice in writing stating that the dog has been seized and will be liable to be humanely disposed of or destroyed if not claimed within seven days after service of the notice.
b. 
A notice under this Subsection may be served either by delivering it to the person on whom it is to be served or by leaving it at the person's usual or last known place of abode or at the address given on the collar or by forwarding it by mail in a prepaid letter addressed to that person at his usual or last known place of abode or to the address given on the collar.
[1991 Code § 157-7C]
The Dog Warden is authorized and empowered to cause the destruction of any unclaimed dog, in as humane a manner as possible, under any of the following contingencies:
a. 
When any dog so seized has not been claimed by the person owning, keeping or harboring such dog within seven days after notice or within seven days of the dog's detention when notice has not been or cannot be given as set forth in the previous subsection.
b. 
If the person owning, keeping or harboring any dog so seized has not claimed the dog and has not paid all expenses incurred by reason of its detention, including maintenance, not to exceed $5 for the first day and $1 per day for each additional day.
c. 
If the seized dog is unlicensed at the time of its seizure and the person owning, keeping or harboring such dog has not produced a license and registration tag as provided in this article.
[1991 Code § 157-8A]
All dogs which are required by the provisions of this article to be licensed shall wear a collar or harness with the registration tag for such dog securely fastened thereto.
[1991 Code § 157-8B]
No person, except an officer in the performance of his duties, shall remove a registration tag from the collar of any dog without the consent of the owner, nor shall any person attach a registration tag to a dog for which it was not issued.
[1991 Code § 157-8E]
No person owning, keeping or harboring any dog shall suffer or permit it to run at large upon the public streets or in any public park, public building or other public place within the Township.
[1991 Code § 157-8F]
No person owning, keeping or harboring any dog shall suffer or permit it to be upon the public streets or in any of the public places of the Township unless such dog is accompanied by a person and is securely confined and controlled by an adequate leash not more than six feet long.
[1991 Code § 157-8G]
No person owning, keeping or harboring a dog shall permit or suffer it to do any injury or to do any damage to any lawn, shrubbery, flowers, grounds or property.
[Ord. No. 97-18 § 1; Ord. No. 2006-18 § I]
In no event shall any person or household keep or harbor more than four dogs.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Subsection 5-7.9, Public Buildings, added 12-19-2017 by Ord. No. 2017-18, was repealed 2-13-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-01.
[1991 Code § 157-9; Ord. No. 02-28 §§ I(A), (B)]
Where it has been determined by a physician that a person has been bitten by a dog, such individual, or a parent or guardian if the person bitten is a minor, shall immediately notify the police. When the owner or keeper of any dog shall be notified by the police that the dog has bitten any individual or individuals, the owner or keeper of the dog must comply with the following procedures:
Have the dog examined by a licensed veterinarian within 12 hours;
Have the dog kept in quarantine in the owner's home or at a kennel for a period of 10 days;
At the end of 10 days have the dog reexamined by a veterinarian and a written report of the dog's state of health sent to the Health Department.
[1991 Code § 157-10]
The Township Committee may by proclamation require all dogs to be quarantined during such period in each year as may seem advisable to the Township Committee.
[1991 Code § 157-11]
The Committee shall have the power to appoint a Dog Warden, whose duty it shall be to enforce the provisions of this article. The Committee shall also have the power to appoint one or more persons, to be known as "dog catchers," who may impound unlicensed dogs running at large in violation of the provisions of this article and who shall make a monthly and annual report to the Committee.
[1991 Code § 157-12; New]
Any person who violates or who fails or refuses to comply with § 5-2 of this article shall be liable to a penalty of not less than $5 nor more than $50 for each offense, except that for the first offense, the penalty shall be not less than $1 nor more than $50. Any person violating any other provisions of this article shall, upon conviction thereof, be liable to the penalty stated in Chapter 1, § 1-5.