[1978 Code § 5-17.1; Ord. No. 839 § 1; Ord. No. 07-14 § VIII]
As used in this article:
Shall mean cat.
Shall mean any person or agency designated or certified by
the State of New Jersey to enforce the provisions of this article.
Shall mean any member of the domestic feline species; male,
female, or altered.
Shall mean any cat which has attained the age of seven months,
or which possesses a set of permanent teeth.
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.
Shall mean the act of providing space or making available
food or shelter in such a manner which attracts a cat or cats to one's
premises.
Shall mean the Health Services or any designated representative
thereof charged with administering the issuance and/or revocation
of permits and licenses under the provisions of this article.
Shall mean rendered permanently incapable of reproduction
as certified by a licensed veterinarian.
When applied to the proprietorship of a cat shall include
every person having a right of property or custody in such cat and
every person who has such cat in his/her keeping, or who harbors or
maintains a cat or knowingly permits a cat to remain on or about any
premises occupied by that person.
Shall mean any individual, corporation, partnership, organization,
or institution commonly recognized by law as a unit.
[1978 Code § 5-17.2; Ord. No. 839 § 2; Ord. No. 07-14 § VIII]
a.
No person shall own, keep, harbor, or maintain any cat over seven
months of age within the Township 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.
b.
Vaccination. All cats shall be vaccinated against rabies by a licensed
veterinarian in accordance with the latest "Compendium of Animals
Rabies Vaccines and Recommendations for Immunization" published by
the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, except
as provided for in paragraph d.
c.
Vaccination Certificate. A certificate of vaccination shall be issued
to the owner of each animal vaccinated by a licensed veterinarian
on forms provided by the State.
d.
Exemptions. Any cat may be exempted for the requirements of such
vaccination for a specified period of time by the Sparta Health Services,
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.
[1978 Code § 5-17.3; Ord. No. 839 § 3; Ord. No. 07-14 § VIII]
Any person who shall own, keep, or harbor a cat of licensing
age shall annually apply for and procure from the Sparta Health Services,
a license and official registration tag with license number, or a
registration sleeve for each cat so owned, kept, or harbored, and
shall place upon such cat a collar, or other device with the license
number securely fastened or displayed thereto. Acceptable methods
of displaying license number shall include, but are not limited to,
break-away or elastic collars. License tags or sleeves are not transferable.
[1978 Code § 5-17.3; Ord. No. 839 § 3]
The owner of any newly acquired cat of licensing age, or of
any cat which attains licensing age, shall make application for license
tag or sleeve for such cat within 10 days after such acquisition or
age attainment. This requirement will not apply to a nonresident keeping
a cat within the Township for no longer than 90 days.
[1978 Code § 5-17.3; Ord. No. 839 § 3]
a.
Any person who shall bring, or cause to be brought into the Township,
any cat licensed in another State for the current year, and bearing
registration tag or sleeve, and shall keep the same or permit the
same to be kept within the Township for a period of more than 90 days,
shall immediately apply for a license and registration tag or sleeve
for each such cat.
b.
Any person who shall bring or cause to be brought into the Township
of Sparta any unlicensed cat, and shall keep same or permit same to
be kept within the Township for a period of more than 10 days, shall
immediately apply for a license and registration tag or sleeve for
each such cat.
[1978 Code § 5-17.3; Ord. No. 839 § 3; Ord. No. 07-14 § VIII]
The application shall state the breed, sex, age, color, and
markings of the cat for which license and registration are 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 said application and the
registration number issued for the cat shall be preserved for a period
of three years by the Sparta Health Services.
[1978 Code § 5-17.3; Ord. No. 839 § 3]
License forms and official tags or sleeves shall be furnished
by the municipality and shall be numbered serially, and shall bear
the year of issuance and the name of the municipality.
[1978 Code § 5-17.3; Ord. No. 839 § 3; Ord. No. 07-14 § VIII]
The Sparta Health Services shall not grant any such license and official registration tag or sleeve 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 by subsection 5-12.1. The rabies inoculation shall be administered by a duly licensed veterinarian.
[1978 Code § 5-17.3; Ord. No. 839 § 3; Ord. No. 950 § XIV; Ord. No. 01-23 § 2; Ord. No. 07-04 § 1; Ord. No. 08-24 § 2; Ord. No. 2016-19 § 1]
A license shall be issued after payment of a fee of $12 for
each neutered cat for a one-year license or $24 for a three-year license
and $15 for each unneutered cat for a one-year license or $30 for
a three-year license for each unneutered cat. Persons who fail to
obtain a license as required by February 1, will be subject to a delinquent
fee of $5 per month for each cat.
[1978 Code § 5-17.3; Ord. No. 839 § 3]
a.
License from another municipality shall be accepted. The person applying
for the license and registration tag and/or sleeve shall pay the fee
fixed or authorized. The fee for the renewal of license and registration
tag or sleeve shall be the same as for the original, and said license,
registration tag or sleeve and renewal thereof shall expire on January
31 of each year, in the following year.
b.
Only one license and registration tag or sleeve shall be required
in the licensing year for any cat in the Township of Sparta. Any valid
New Jersey license tag or sleeve issued by a New Jersey municipality
shall be accepted by this municipality as evidence of compliance.
[1978 Code § 5-17.3; Ord. No. 839 § 3]
If a license tag or sleeve has been misplaced or lost, the Health
Services may issue a duplicate license and/or registration sleeve
for that particular cat at a fee of $1.
[1978 Code § 5-17.3; Ord. No. 839 § 3]
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.
[1978 Code § 5-17.3; Ord. No. 839 § 3]
No person shall hinder, molest, or interfere with anyone authorized
or empowered to perform any duty under this section.
[1978 Code § 5-17.3; Ord. No. 839 § 3]
License fees and other moneys collected or received under the
provisions of this section shall be forwarded to the Treasurer of
the municipality, be placed in an animal control fund in accordance
with applicable law.
[1978 Code § 5-17.4; Ord. No. 839 § 4]
Except as otherwise provided in this section, any person who
violates, or who fails, or refuses to comply with this section, shall
be liable to a penalty up to $1,000 for each violation, or may be
imprisoned for a period not to exceed six months, or both, at the
discretion of the court before whom the complaint is made. A separate
offense shall be deemed committed on each day during or on which a
violation of this section occurs or continues.
[1978 Code § 5-15; Ord. No. 800; Ord. No. 950 § 5-15]
a.
Any cat shall be considered a public nuisance and shall be subject to subsection 5-20.1 paragraph i, if it has no owner or custodian; if it has no place of care, or shelter; or if it trespasses upon or damages either private or public property; or if it bites, scratches, or harms persons within the township.
b.
Any cat off the premises of the owner or the person keeping or harboring the cat and constituting a public nuisance as defined in subsection 5-4.7, shall be impounded according to subsection 5-20.1 paragraph i, provided that the owner of the property upon which the trespassing occurs authorizes the seizure.
c.
Any cat off of the premises of the owner or the person keeping or
harboring the cat which the Animal Control Officer or other authorized
person has taken into custody; in accordance with 5-13.1a and b shall
be impounded.
d.
There shall be charged to the owner of each cat which is impounded, the sum listed in subsection 5-20.4a, for picking up each cat; and the sum listed in subsection 5-20.4b for each cat which is redeemed by its owner plus the listed sum in subsection 5-20.4c per day maintenance for each day or part thereof that the cat has been impounded, which fees shall be paid when the cat is released.
