It shall be illegal within the Township for any person or persons
to own, possess, harbor, or control any animal which makes any noise
continuously and/or incessantly for a period of 15 minutes or makes
such noise intermittently for 1/2 hour or more, to the disturbance
of any person of reasonable sensibilities any time of the day or night
regardless whether the animal is physically situated in or upon private
property, said noise being a nuisance; providing, that at the time
the animal is making such noise no person is trespassing or threatening
to trespass upon private property in or upon which the animal is situated
nor is there any other legitimate cause which is justifiably provoking
the animal.
The Board of Supervisors shall have authority, at its discretion,
from time to time, to enter into a contract with an individual or
person to act as Animal Control Officer - or as an Animal Protective
Services Officer - for the Township. The Animal Control Officer shall
be an independent contractor and shall not be the agent, servant or
employee of the Township. He/she shall serve for the period of time
set out in the contract that is valid at any specific time and shall
receive for his services from the Township the amount of money provided
in such contract. The Animal Control Officer may be a designated agency
or an individual.
The Animal Control Officer is authorized by the Township to
preserve the peace and to arrest or to enforce the law under the terms
of the Pennsylvania Dog Law of 1965, as amended. The Animal Control Officer and any of his
employees shall perform any of the work in the Township referred to
in this chapter and as provided by contract. If deemed warranted by
the Board of Supervisors, the Animal Control Officer may be sworn
in for the limited services referred to in this chapter and pursuant
to the contract, and shall have limited powers of a police officer.
The animal control coverage shall be at the discretion of the
Chief of Police and shall include the control of animals responsible
for bites and the containing and removal of stray dogs. Nothing in
this chapter shall be construed so as to limit any police officer
of the Township in enforcing any of the provisions of this chapter
or the Dog Law.
If a seized animal is claimed by its owner or keeper, or their
agent, such person shall pay all reasonable expenses incurred by reason
of its detention which shall include the repayment to the Township
of all the costs incurred by the Township due to the seizure and keeping
of the owner's animal. The Township shall send a bill to the owner
documenting any and all expenses which were incurred due to the seizure
and detention of that owner's animal. The owner shall reimburse the
Township for those expenses within 15 days of receipt of written notice
of the amount owed to the Township. Additionally, if a resident of
the Township is actively trapping stray and feral cats and transporting
them to an approved shelter, those costs shall be passed through to
the resident and shall not be the financial burden of the Township.