[Adopted 7-14-1992 by Ord. No. 92-09-430]
It is an objective of this article to protect the public and animals from the spread of rabies to animals and humans since rabies is transmissible to humans and is fatal in all cases; and it is a further objective of this article to protect the public from animal-related nuisances and threats to public health, safety and welfare; and it has been determined that these objectives can be fostered by assuring that animal owners meet responsibilities for the control and care of their cats.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ANIMAL
Dog or cat.
ANIMAL CONTROL AUTHORITY
Any person or agency designated by the borough and certified by the State of New Jersey to enforce the provisions of this article.
CAT
Any member of the domestic feline species, male, female or altered.
CAT OF LICENSING AGE
Any cat which has attained the age of six months or which possesses a set of permanent teeth.
CATTERY
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
The agency or department of the Borough of Pine Beach or any designated representative thereof charged with administering the issuance and/or revocation of permits and licenses under the provisions of this article.
NEUTERED
Rendered permanently incapable of reproduction as certified by a licensed veterinarian.
OWNER
When applied to the proprietorship of a cat, includes 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.
PERSON
Any individual, corporation, partnership, organization or institution commonly recognized by law as a unit.
A. 
Vaccination and license required. Any person who shall own, keep, harbor or maintain any cat over six months of age within the Borough of Pine Beach shall apply for and procure a license from the Municipal Clerk by March 31 of each year.
[Amended 5-9-2002 by Ord. No. 02-08-566; 6-14-2017 by Ord. No. 17-02-743]
B. 
Vaccination. All cats shall be vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian and the duration of the immunity from the vaccination must extend through at least 10 months of the twelve-month licensing period.
[Amended 6-14-2017 by Ord. No. 17-02-743]
C. 
Vaccination certificate. A certificate of vaccination shall be issued to the owner of each animal vaccinated on a form recommended by the state.
D. 
Exemptions. Any cat may be exempted from the requirements of such vaccination for a specified period of time by the local 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.
Any person who shall own, keep or harbor a cat of licensing age shall annually apply for and procure from the Clerk of the municipality, or other official designated by the governing body thereof to license cats in the municipality in which he/she resides, 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 the license number shall include but are not limited to breakaway or elastic collars. License tags or sleeves are not transferable. Any owner may elect to not display the registration tag or sleeve on his/her cat, and this shall not constitute a violation of this article, provided that the license, registration tag or sleeve and vaccination certificate are available at all times for inspection by the animal control authority. If any person shall display or present for inspection a license, registration tag or sleeve or a vaccination certificate which is fictitious or is for a cat other than that on which it is displayed or for which it is presented, this shall constitute a separate and distinct offense.
The owner of any newly acquired cat of licensing age or of any cat which attains licensing age shall make application for a 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 Borough of Pine Beach for no longer than 90 days.
A. 
Any person who shall bring or cause to be brought into the borough any cat licensed in another state for the current year and bearing registration tag or sleeve and who shall keep the same or permit the same to be kept within the Borough of Pine Beach 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 borough any unlicensed cat and who shall keep the same or permit the same to be kept within the borough for a period of more than 10 days shall immediately apply for a license and registration tag or sleeve for each such cat.
A. 
The application shall state:
(1) 
The breed, sex, age, color and markings of the cat for which license and registration are sought.
(2) 
Whether the cat is of a long- or shorthaired variety.
(3) 
The name, street and post office address of the owner, and the person who shall keep or harbor such cat.
B. 
The information on said application and the registration number issued for the cat shall be preserved for a period of three years by the Clerk or other local official designated to license cats in the municipality.
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.
No Municipal Clerk or other official designated by the governing body of any municipality to license cats therein shall 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 § 76-24 of this article. The rabies inoculation shall be administered by a duly licensed veterinarian or by such other veterinarian permitted by law to do the same.
A. 
A license shall be issued after payment of a fee of $12 for each neutered cat or $15 for each non-neutered cat.
[Amended 11-7-2007 by Ord. No. 07-10-655; 5-14-2008 by Ord. No. 08-05-661]
B. 
Licenses are due by March 31 of each year. A delinquent fee of $10 will be assessed April 1 in addition to any penalties which may be imposed.
[Amended 5-9-2002 by Ord. No. 02-08-566; 6-14-2017 by Ord. No. 17-02-743]
A. 
Licenses from another municipality shall be accepted.
B. 
Only one license and registration tag or sleeve shall be required in the licensing year for any cat in the borough. Any valid New Jersey license tag or sleeve issued by a New Jersey municipality shall be accepted by this municipality as evidence of compliance.
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 a license and registration tag or sleeve shall be the same as for the original.
Said license, registration tag or sleeve and renewal thereof shall expire on December 31 of that calendar year.
If a license tag or sleeve has been misplaced or lost, the Borough Clerk may issue a duplicate license and/or registration sleeve for that particular cat at no charge.
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.
No person shall hinder, molest or interfere with anyone authorized or empowered to perform any duty under this article.
A. 
License fees and other moneys collected or received under the provisions of this article shall be forwarded to the Treasurer of the municipality and shall be placed in a special account separate from any of the other accounts of the municipality and shall be used for the following purposes only:
(1) 
Collecting, keeping and disposing of cats liable to seizure.
(2) 
Local prevention and control of rabies.
(3) 
Providing antirabies treatment under the direction of the local Board of Health for any person known or suspected to have been exposed to rabies.
(4) 
Administering the provisions of this article.
B. 
Any unexpected balance remaining in such special account shall be retained 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 municipality 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.
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 $15 nor more than $200 and may, in the discretion of the Court, be committed to the county jail or ordered to perform community service for a period not exceeding 10 days for a first offense or 30 days for a second or subsequent offense. If a violation is continuing, each day of violation shall be deemed a separate offense.