[Ord. No. 2555 § 1]
ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER
Shall mean any person or agency designated by the Township
Manager or authorized by law to enforce the provisions of this chapter.
CATS
Shall mean any member of the domestic feline species; male,
female or neutered.
CATS LICENSING AGE
Shall mean any cat which has attained the age of four months,
or which possesses a set of permanent teeth.
LICENSING AUTHORITY
Shall mean the Department of Health of the Township of Belleville
or any persons designated by the Township Manager shall be charged
with administering the issuance and revocation of permits and licenses
under the provisions of this chapter.
NEUTERED
Shall mean rendered permanently incapable of reproduction
as certified by a licensed veterinarian.
OWNER
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.
PERSON
Shall mean any individual, corporation, partnership, organization
or institution commonly recognized by law as a unit.
VACCINATION
Shall mean inoculation against rabies performed by a licensed
veterinarian, or such other person permitted by law to do the same
under the supervision of a 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.
VETERINARIAN
Shall mean any person licensed to practice veterinary medicine
by any State of the United States.
[Ord. No. 2555 § 2]
No person shall be the owner of a cat of licensing age within
the Township of Belleville, unless such cat is licensed and has a
vaccination which was administered within the last 365 days or for
which a valid vaccination certificate indicates an expiration date
occurring in the future. The provisions of this section do not apply
to cats held in a veterinary establishment where cats are received
or kept for diagnostic, medical, surgical, or other treatments.
[Ord. No. 2555 § 2]
A certification of vaccination shall be issued to the owner
of each cat which has been administered a vaccination in a form recommended
by the State.
[Ord. No. 2555 § 2]
Any cat may be exempt from the requirements of such vaccination
for a specified period of time by the Township of Belleville Department
of Health, upon presentation of a vaccination of such cat shall be
deemed inadvisable.
[Ord. No. 2555 § 3]
Any owner of a cat of licensing age shall apply for and procure
from the Township Department of Health or other official designated
by the Township Manager a license number and said license number shall
be displayed on any licensed cat. Acceptable methods of displaying
the license number shall include, but are not limited to, an official
license tag or sleeve securely affixed to break-away or elastic collar.
License tags or sleeves are not transferable.
[Ord. No. 2555 § 3]
The owner of any newly acquired cat of licensing age, or of
any cat which attains licensing age, shall make application for a
license 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 of Belleville for no longer than 30 days.
[Ord. No. 2555 § 3]
Any person who shall bring or cause to be brought into the Township
of Belleville any cat, and shall keep the same or permit the same
to be kept within the Township of Belleville for a period of more
than 30 days, shall immediately apply for a license for such cat,
unless otherwise exempt under this chapter.
[Ord. No. 2555 § 3]
The application shall state the breed, sex, age, color and markings
of the cat for which license is sought, and whether it is of a long
or short haired variety; the date on which such cat was last vaccinated
against rabies and the expiration date of such vaccination if it is
greater than one year from vaccination date; the name, street, post
office address and telephone number of the owner, the person who shall
keep or harbor such cat and any tattoo which shall be used to uniquely
identify 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 Township Department of Health or other official designated
to license cats.
[Ord. 2555, § 3]
License forms and official tags or sleeves shall be furnished
by the Township and shall be numbered serially; and shall bear the
year of issuance and the name of the Township.
[Ord. No. 2555 § 3]
The Township Department of Health or other official designated by the Township Manager to license cats shall not grant any such license for any cat, unless the owner thereof provides evidence that the cat to be licensed has been vaccinated or has been certified exempt as provided by Section
5A-2 of this chapter.
[Ord. No. 2555 § 3]
A license shall be issued after payment of a fee as provided
in the Township's general fee ordinance. In the absence of such
provision the fee shall be $11 for each unneutered and unspayed cat,
and $8 for each neutered and spayed cat. Persons who fail to obtain
a license as required within the time period specified in this section,
will be subject to a delinquent fee of $5 and may be subject to any
other penalties provided by this chapter. No fee shall be charged
for the initial license by October 31, 1991.
[Ord. No. 2555 § 3]
License shall expire on January 31st of each year.
[Ord. No. 2555 § 3]
If a license tag or sleeve has been misplaced or lost, the Township
Department of Health may issue a duplicate license or registration
sleeve for that particular cat at a fee as provided in the Township's
general fee ordinance. In the absence of such provision the fee shall
be $5.
[Ord. No. 2555 § 3]
Proof of licensing shall be produced by any owner of a cat upon
the request of any health official, police officer, or animal control
officer.
[Ord. No. 2555 § 3]
No person shall hinder, molest, or interfere with anyone authorized
or empowered to perform any duty under this chapter.
[Ord. No. 2555 § 3]
License fees and other monies collected or received under the
provision of this chapter, 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: collecting, keeping, and disposing
of cats liable to seizure, for local prevention and control of rabies,
providing anti-rabies treatment under the direction of the local Department
of Health for any person known or suspected to have been exposed to
rabies, and for administering the provisions of this chapter. 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.
[Ord. No. 2555 § 3]
Management of domestic animals known or suspected to have been
bitten by a known or suspected rabid animal, or unknown origin shall
be quarantined in accordance with Title 26 of the New Jersey Statutes
Annotated. The owner of a cat evidencing a change in disposition or
illness suggesting it may be required to have such cat examined by
an approved veterinarian. Any cost incurred in quarantining such cat
or veterinary service examination shall be paid for by owner or harborer
of such cat or cats.
[Ord. No. 2555 § 4]
The Chief of Police of the Township shall annually cause a canvass
of all cats owned, kept or harbored within the limits of the Township
Clerk, Township Department of Health and, if required by law, to the
State Department of Health, the result thereof, setting forth the
names and addresses of persons owning, keeping or harboring such cats;
the number of licensed cats owned, kept or harbored by each of said
persons, together with the license numbers of each of said cats; and
also setting forth the names and addresses of persons owning, keeping
or harboring unlicensed cats; the number of unlicensed cats owned,
kept by each said person, together with a complete description of
each unlicensed cat.
[Ord. No. 2555 § 5]
The Township Clerk shall publish a notice reminding cat owners
to make application for said cat license during the month of which
cat licenses expire and shall send a notice to any new purchaser of
a residence as shown in the records of the tax assessor advising such
purchaser of the requirements of this chapter.
[Ord. No. 2555 § 6]
Any person who violates or who fails or refuses to comply with this chapter shall be liable to the penalties provided in Section
1-5 of the Township Code.
[Ord. No. 2909]
No person shall keep on his property or in his possession more
than three adult cats without first obtaining a permit from the Township
Department of Health or other official designated by the Township
Manager. An adult cat shall be defined as an animal four months in
age or older or which possesses a set of permanent teeth.
[Ord. No. 2909]
The fee for the issuance of permit to possess more than three
adult cats shall be $25 per adult cat.
[Ord. No. 2909]
All cats licensed as of July 1, 2001 shall be permitted to remain
as pets in the domicile.