No person shall hinder, molest or interfere with anyone authorized or empowered to perform any duty under this article.
The Division of Health may by proclamation require all dogs and cats to be quarantined during such period in each year as may seem advisable to the Division of Health.
A. 
Any person who owns, keeps, feeds or harbors any animal at any place within the Township or who permits any animal to enter the limits of the Township shall exercise sufficient and proper care and control over such animal at all times.
B. 
No person owning, keeping or harboring an animal shall permit or suffer it to do any injury or to do any damage of another's lawn, shrubbery, flowers, grounds or property.
C. 
In addition to violations of this chapter, an owner shall be responsible for violations of Chapter 311, Noise, and Chapter 317, Nuisances.
No person shall erect, construct or maintain within the Township any shed, coop, runway or pen, for horses, swine, sheep, goats, rabbits, poultry or pigeons, which is nearer than 100 feet to any door or window of a dwelling, nor shall any shed, coop, runway or pen be kept in an unclean or otherwise unsanitary condition.
A. 
Any person owning, harboring, keeping or in charge of any dog, cat or other animal which soils, defiles, defecates on or commits any nuisance on any common thoroughfare, sidewalk, passageway, bypath, play area or park, or any other place where people congregate or walk, or upon any public property whatsoever, or upon any private property without the permission of the owner of the property, shall immediately remove all feces deposited by such dog, cat or other animal by any sanitary method.
B. 
The feces removed from the area designated in this section shall be disposed of by the person owning, harboring, keeping or in charge of any such dog, cat or other animal, in accordance with the provisions of this section, in a sanitary manner.
C. 
The provisions of this section shall not apply to blind persons who may use dogs as guides.
A. 
No owner or person having temporary custody of any animal shall permit the animal to be, or fail to provide physical control to restrain the animal from becoming, at large.
B. 
A cat shall be considered exempt from these provisions if:
(1) 
The ear-tipped cat is part of a community cat management/TNVR Program in accordance with this chapter.
(2) 
An ear-tipped cat, part of the TNVR program, without leash is considered walking freely and not considered an animal-at-large.
(3) 
A domesticated outdoor cat with a tag and/or microchip identifying ownership.
No person may desert or abandon any animal at any public or private location.
A. 
It shall be unlawful for any person to use inhumane methods to trap animals. Traps utilized to capture animals shall be humane traps.
B. 
Trapping of animals. Traps and the trapping of animals must meet the following requirements:
(1) 
Traps shall not be left unattended for more than two hours; and
(2) 
Traps shall not be left set overnight, unless traps are checked at least every two hours; and
(3) 
Traps shall not be left unattended for any length of time of time in temperatures below 45° F. or above 80° F.; in rain or snow; or in any other extreme weather.
C. 
The fee for utilization of an animal trap provided by the Hamilton Township Animal Shelter shall be a deposit in the amount set forth in Chapter 215-6, Fees, of the Township Code.
The Hamilton Township Animal Shelter shall aspire to be a no-kill animal shelter which does not kill healthy or treatable animals even when the shelter is full, reserving euthanasia for terminally ill animals or those considered dangerous to public safety.
There will be an initial fee, as set forth in Chapter 215-6, Fees, of the Township Code, to be paid to the Township for each animal adopted from the Hamilton Township Animal Shelter. The fee or any portion thereof may be waived by the Director of the Department of Health, Recreation, Senior and Veterans Services based upon a finding of genuine hardship.
Exemption from adoption fee. The Township Division of Police and other law enforcement agencies as well as accredited organizations which obtain dogs from the Township shelter for the purposes of training as Seeing Eye dogs are exempt from the adoption fees provided in this section.
Any animal may be claimed by its owner during the seven-day custodial period upon the payment to the Animal Control Officer of a pickup fee and a daily maintenance fee for each day or fraction thereof that the animal has been in custody. The fee or any portion thereof may be waived by the Director of the Department of Health, Recreation, Senior and Veterans Services, based upon a finding of genuine hardship.
A. 
License required; transfer of license. Any person who keeps or operates or proposes to establish a kennel, pet shop, shelter or pound shall apply to the Health Officer for a license entitling the person to keep or operate such establishment. Any person holding such license shall not be required to secure individual licenses for dogs owned by such licensee and kept at such establishments. Such licenses shall not be transferable to another owner or different premises.
B. 
Application for license. The application shall contain the following information:
(1) 
The name and Corporate and local address of the applicant;
(2) 
The street address where the establishment is located or proposed to be located, together with a general description of the premises;
(3) 
The purposes for which the establishment is to be maintained; and
(4) 
The maximum number of animals to be accommodated by such establishment at any one time.
C. 
Approval by Division of Health. No license shall be issued until the proposed licensee submits a written statement to the Health Officer of the Division of Health that the establishment or proposed establishment complies with local and state rules governing the location of and sanitation at such establishment.
D. 
Contents of license; expiration of license. All licenses issued for a kennel, pet shop, shelter or pound shall state the purpose for which the establishment is maintained, and all such licenses shall expire on June 30 of each year.
E. 
License fees. The annual license fees for kennel and pet shop licenses shall be as set forth in Chapter 215-6, Fees, of the Township Code. There shall be no fee for a shelter or pound.
F. 
Revocation; compliance with applicable regulations.
(1) 
All licenses issued for a kennel, pet shop, shelter or pound shall be subject to revocation by the Township Council on recommendation of the New Jersey Department of Health or the Township Division of Health for failure to comply with the rules and regulations of the New Jersey Department of Health or the Township Division of Health, after the owner has been afforded a hearing by either the New Jersey Department of Health or the Township Division of Health.
(2) 
Any person holding a license to establish, keep or operate a kennel, pet shop, shelter or pound shall comply with all Township ordinances and the rules and regulations promulgated by the New Jersey Department of Health governing the sanitary conduct and operation of kennels, pet shops, shelters and pounds, the preservation of sanitation therein and the prevention of the spread of rabies and other diseases of dogs within and from such establishments.
G. 
Reports to New Jersey Health Department. The Health Officer shall forward to the New Jersey Department of Health a list of all kennels, pet shops, shelters and pounds licensed within 30 days after the licenses therefor are issued, which list shall include the name and address of the licensee and the kind of license issued.
H. 
Control of dogs off premises. No dog kept in a kennel, pet shop, shelter or pound shall be permitted off such premises except on leash or in a crate or other safe control.
I. 
Restrictions on the sale of animals.
(1) 
A pet shop may offer for sale only those animals that the pet shop has obtained from or displays in cooperation with:
(a) 
An animal shelter; and
(b) 
An animal rescue organization.
(2) 
A pet shop shall not offer for sale a dog or cat that is younger than eight weeks old.
No provision of this article shall be construed to apply to any establishment wherein or whereon dogs/cats or other animals are received or kept for diagnostic, medical, surgical or other treatments, owned by and operated under the immediate supervision of a graduate veterinarian licensed in the state.
Any person who violates any of the provisions of this chapter shall, upon conviction, be subject to the penalties in Chapter 1, General Provisions, § 1-2, Violation; penalties, of the Township Code, per violation.