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.
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.
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.
