[1972 Code § 61-1; New]
As used in this Article:
ANIMAL
Shall mean dog, cat or domestic animal.
ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER
Shall mean any person or agency designated by the Borough and certified by the State to enforce the provisions of this Article.
CAT
Shall mean any member of the domestic feline species; male, female or altered.
CAT OF LICENSING AGE
Shall mean any cat which has attained the age of seven months, or which possesses a set of permanent teeth.
CATTERY
Shall mean any room or group of rooms, cage, or exhibition pen, not part of a kennel, wherein cats for sale are kept or displayed.
LICENSING AUTHORITY
Shall mean the Board of Health or any designated representative thereof charged with administering the issuance and/or revocation of permits and licenses under the provisions of this Article.
NEUTERED
Shall mean rendered permanently incapable of reproduction as certified by a licensed veterinarian.
OWNER
Shall mean and include, when applied to the proprietorship of a cat, every person having a right of property (or custody) in such cat and every person who has such cat in his keeping, or who harbors or maintains a cat or knowingly permits a cat to remain on or about any premises occupied by that person.
[1972 Code § 61-2A]
No person shall own, keep, harbor or maintain any cat over seven months of age within the Borough unless such cat is vaccinated and licensed. The provisions of this section do not apply to cats held in a cattery, or those held by a State or Federally licensed research facility, or a veterinary establishment where cats are received or kept for diagnostic, medical, surgical or other treatments, or licensed animal shelters, pounds, kennels, or pet shops.
[1972 Code § 61-2B]
All cats shall be vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian in accordance with the latest "Compendium of Animal Rabies Vaccines and Recommendations for Immunization" published by the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, except as provided for in subsection 10-26.4.
[1972 Code § 61-2C]
A certificate of vaccination against rabies executed by a licensed veterinarian must be presented to the Borough Clerk or his designee prior to the issuance of a license.
[1972 Code § 61-2D]
Any cat may be exempted from the requirements of such vaccination for a specified period of time by the Board of Health upon presentation of a veterinarian's certificate stating that, because of an infirmity or other physical condition or regimen of therapy, the inoculation of such cat shall be deemed inadvisable.
[1972 Code § 61-3A; Ord. No. OR:11/08]
Any person who shall own, keep or harbor a cat of licensing age shall annually apply for and procure from the Borough Clerk or other official designated by the Governing Body of the Borough to license cats, a license for each cat so owned, kept or harbored.
[1972 Code § 61-3B; Ord. No. OR:11/08]
The owner of any newly acquired cat of licensing age or of any cat which attains licensing age shall make application for a license within 10 days after such acquisition or age attainment. This requirement will not apply to a nonresident keeping a cat within the Borough for a period not exceeding 90 days.
[1972 Code § 61-3C; Ord. No. OR:11/08]
Any person who shall bring or cause to be brought into the Borough any cat licensed in another State, or in another municipality within the State, for the current year, and bearing a registration tag or sleeve, and shall keep same or permit same to be kept within the Borough for a period of more than 90 days shall immediately apply for a license.
Any resident of the Borough who shall bring or cause to be brought into the Borough any unlicensed cat of licensing age and shall keep same or permit same to be kept within the Borough for a period of more than 10 days shall immediately apply for a license for each such cat, excepting and subject to the provision for a nonresident as set forth in subsection 10-27.2 above.
[1972 Code § 61-3D; Ord. No. OR:11/08]
The application shall state the breed, sex, age, color and markings of the cat for which a license is sought and whether it is of a long- or short-haired variety; also the name, street and post office address of the owner and the person who shall keep or harbor such cat. The information on the application and the registration number issued for the cat shall be preserved for a period of three years by the Borough Clerk or other official designated to license cats in the Borough.
[1972 Code § 61-3E; Ord. No. OR:11/08]
License forms shall be furnished by the Borough Clerk and shall be numbered serially and shall bear the year of issuance and the name of the municipality.
[1972 Code § 61-3F; Ord. No. OR:11/08]
A license shall not be granted for any cat unless the owner thereof provides evidence that the cat to be licensed and registered has been inoculated with a rabies vaccine of a type approved by and administered in accordance with the recommendations of the United States Department of Agriculture and the United States Department of Human Services, or has been certified exempt as provided in subsection 10-26.4 above. The rabies inoculation shall be administered by a duly licensed veterinarian, or by such other veterinarian permitted by law to do the same.
[1972 Code § 61-3G; Ord. No. OR:11/08]
A license shall be issued after payment of a fee of $5 for each unneutered cat and $3 for each neutered cat; for five or more cats, a group fee of $15 for neutered and $25 for unneutered cats will be charged. A person who fails to obtain a license as required within the time period specified in this subsection will be subject to a delinquent fee of $2 per license issued.
[1972 Code § 61-3H; Ord. No. OR:11/08]
The person applying for the license shall pay the fee fixed or authorized. The fee for the renewal of license shall be the same as for the original and said license, and renewal thereof shall expire on May 31 in the following year. Upon presentation of a current license from another municipality, along with evidence of inoculation with rabies vaccine or certification of exemption as provided in subsection 10-27.6 above, a Borough license shall be issued for the remainder of the licensing year without charge, as a courtesy.
[1972 Code § 61-3I; Ord. No. OR:11/08]
If a license has been misplaced or lost, the Borough Clerk may issue a duplicate license for that particular cat at a fee of one ($1.00) dollar.
[1972 Code § 61-3J; Ord. No. OR:11/08]
Proof of licensing shall be produced by any person owning, keeping, maintaining or harboring a cat, upon the request of any health official, police officer, animal control officer or other authorized person.
[Ord. No. 95-22; New; Ord. No. OR:11/08]
License fees and other moneys collected or received under the provisions of this Article shall be forwarded to the Chief Financial Officer of the Borough and shall be placed in a special account for cats and dogs separate from any of the other accounts of the Borough and shall be used for the following purposes only: collecting, keeping and disposing of cats and dogs liable to seizure, for local prevention and control of rabies and for administering the provisions of the Article. Any balance remaining in the account in excess of the total amount paid into the account during the two fiscal years preceding the present year shall be paid over to the municipality and become part of current surplus.
[1972 Code § 61-3M; New; Ord. No. OR:11/08]
Any cat found running at large may be impounded by the Animal Control Officer and/or a Borough police officer. Any cat which has been alleged to have bitten or scratched any person may be impounded for purposes of observation as to rabies. Such officer may go upon private property (but not into an inhabited building without consent of the occupant thereof) to so impound such cat.
Any cat may be impounded for running at large. If the cat is not reclaimed by the owner, the cat may be destroyed. No cat so impounded shall be returned to its owner unless proof can be shown that it has a current rabies inoculation. The owner shall pay all expenses incurred by reason of its detention, including the maintenance fee set by the Animal Control Officer.
[1972 Code § 61-4N; Ord. No. OR:11/08]
Licenses shall be obtained in May each year with an additional fee of $2 for delinquent licenses acquired after May. In addition, those failing to obtain a license shall be subject to penalties set forth in this Article.
[1972 Code § 61-4]
Except as otherwise provided in this Article, any person who violates or who fails or refuses to comply with this Article shall be liable to a penalty of not less than $20 nor more than $50 for each offense, to be recovered by and in the name of the Borough of Watchung.