[R.O. 1957, 4:1-1, as amended May 3, 1966; MC 2015-09, March 9, 2015]
As used in this chapter:
(a) 
Animals mean any and all types of animals both domesticated and wild, male and female.
(b) 
At large means off the premises of the owner or custodian of the animals and not under the immediate control of the owner or custodian.
(c) 
Dog means any dog of either sex over the age of seven (7) months or possessing a set of permanent teeth.
(d) 
Dog license means a license and registration tag required to be issued annually for each individual dog.
(e) 
Dog of licensing age means any dog which has attained the age of seven (7) months or which possess a set of permanent teeth.
(f) 
Keep or harbor means to maintain, possess, control and use.
(g) 
Kennel means any establishment wherein or whereon the business of boarding or selling dogs or breeding dogs for sale is carried on, except a pet shop.
(h) 
Owner means any person, firm, association, corporation, or responsible party for an animal, owning, controlling, harboring or keeping any dog which is over the age of seven (7) months or possesses a set of permanent teeth, or any other animals. If the owner is a minor as defined by statute, the minor's parent(s) or legal guardian(s) shall be the owner for purposes of this section.
(i) 
Pound means an establishment for the confinement of dogs seized either under the provisions of this chapter or otherwise.
(j) 
Shelter means any establishment where dogs are received, housed and distributed.
[R.O. 1957, 4:1-2]
Every person who keeps or harbors a dog of licensing age shall obtain a license for it in accordance with the provisions of this article. The license shall be issued by the License Bureau upon application by the owner and payment of the prescribed fee.[1]
[1]
Cross reference: As to License Bureau issuing dog license, see Section 9:1-2 of this Code.
[R.O. 1957, 4:1-3]
Any person who shall own, keep or harbor a dog of licensing age shall, in the month of January, and annually thereafter, apply for and procure from the License Bureau a license and official metal registration tag for each dog so owned, kept or harbored, and shall place upon each dog a collar or harness with the registration tag securely fastened thereto.
[1]
State law reference: As to license and registration tag, see N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.2.
[R.O. 1957, 4:1-4, as amended Aug. 1, 1966; amended 9-12-2022 by Ord. No. MC 2022-43]
(a) 
Any person applying for a license and registration tag shall pay the fee set forth below:
Dog License Fee
One Year License
Three Year License
Dog License (Non-Neutered)
$18.20
$54.60
Dog License (Neutered/Spayed)
$15.20
$45.60
Dog late Fee (March 1 through April 1)
$1.00
$1.00
Dog Late Fee (After April 1)
$2.00
$2.00
(b) 
Dogs used as guides for blind persons, and commonly known as seeing eye dogs, shall be licensed and registered as are any other dogs, except the owner or keeper shall not be required to pay any fee thereof.
[R.O. 1957, 4:1-5]
The owner of any newly-acquired dog of licensing age, or any dog which attains licensing age, shall make application for license and registration tag for the dog within ten (10) days after acquisition or age attainment.
[1]
State law reference: As to time of application, see N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.4.
[R.O. 1957, 4:1-6]
The application shall state the breed, sex, age, color and markings of the dog, rabies immunization date, and whether it is of a long or short-haired variety. It shall also state the name, street, post office address and telephone number of the owner and the person who shall keep or harbor the dog. The information on the application and the registration number issued for the dog shall be preserved for a period of three (3) years by the License Bureau. In addition, the Bureau shall forward similar information to the Chief of Police and the State Department of Health each month on forms furnished by the State Department. Registration numbers shall be issued in the order of the applications.
[1]
State law reference: As to application contents, see N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.5
(a) 
Upon application for a dog license, the License Bureau shall require from the applicant a statement that the dog sought to be licensed has been immunized against rabies in a manner approved by the Health Officer, or, within five (5) days of the above application, the applicant shall furnish sufficient proof of the rabies immunization to the License Bureau.
(b) 
The License Bureau shall accept as sufficient proof of immunization a current vaccination tag, which shall include a tag for inoculations with avianized vaccine, issued by a licensed veterinarian or other authorized person in accordance with the regulations of the Division of Health.
[R.O. 1957, 4:14, as amended Aug. 1, 1966; amended 12-14-2020 by Ord. No. MC 2020-26; amended 9-12-2022 by Ord. No. MC 2022-43]
(a) 
A license shall be issued for either one or three years.
(b) 
Licenses and registration tags for dogs shall be renewed for either 1 or 3 years.
(c) 
The pet owner must present a rabies vaccination certificate signed by a licensed veterinarian indicating that the animal’s duration of immunity extends throughout at least the first ten months of the twelve-month licensing period for one year license and the first 34 of 36 months for a three year license.
[1]
State law reference: As to license and registration tag renewal, see N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.3.
(a) 
No dog license or registration tag for any dog shall be transferable to another dog.
(b) 
Whenever the ownership or possession of any dog is permanently transferred from any person to another, the license of the dog shall be void. The new owner shall obtain a new license in the manner prescribed in Sections 5:1-3 to 5:1-7.
(c) 
No refunds shall be made of any dog license because of the death of the dog or the owner's leaving the City before the expiration of the license period.
[R.O. 1957, 4:1-7]
(a) 
Any person who shall bring or cause to be brought into the City any dog licensed in another State for the current year, and bearing a registration tag, and shall intend to keep the dog or permit the dog to be kept within the City for a period of more than ninety (90) days, shall immediately upon arrival apply for a license and registration tag for each dog, unless the dog be licensed under Section 5:2-1 of this article.
(b) 
Any person who shall bring or cause to be brought into the City any unlicensed dog and shall keep the dog or permit the dog to be kept within the City for a period of more than ten (10) days, shall immediately apply for a license and registration tag for each dog, unless the dog be licensed under Section 5:2-1 of this article.
(c) 
Only one (1) license and registration tag shall be required in the licensing year for any dog owned and licensed by the State of New Jersey and such licenses and tags shall be accepted by the City.[1]
[1]
State law reference: As to one license and tag, see N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.3
[R.O. 1957, 4:1-13]
(a) 
License fees and other moneys collected or received under the provisions of this article, except registration tag fees, shall be forwarded to the City Comptroller within thirty (30) days after collection or receipt and shall be placed in a special account separate from any of the other accounts of the City.
The moneys placed in the special account shall be used for the following purposes only:
(1) 
Collecting, keeping and disposing of dogs liable to seizure under this chapter.
(2) 
Local prevention and control of rabies.
(3) 
Providing anti-rabies treatment under the direction of the Health Officer for any person known or suspected to have been exposed to rabies. The treatment given shall be the complete Pasteur treatment for rabies.
(4) 
All other purposes prescribed by the statutes of New Jersey governing the subject, and for administering the provisions of this chapter, relating to dogs.
(5) 
When any Humane Society has contracted with the Council as provided in Section 5:5-2 of this chapter such sums which the City has by an agreement contracted to pay, shall be paid from the special account and the payment shall be deemed as costs for collecting, keeping and disposing of dogs, liable to seizure under this chapter.
(b) 
Any unexpended balance remaining in the special account shall be retained therein 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 the special account to the general funds of the City any amount then in such account which is in excess of the total amount paid into the special account during the last two (2) fiscal years next preceding.
(c) 
The registration tag fee of each dog shall be forwarded within thirty (30) days after collection by the License Bureau to the State Department of Health.
[1]
State law reference: As to disposition of fees collected, see N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.11.
[R.O. 1957, 4:1-8]
No person, except an officer in the performance of his duties, shall remove a registration tag from the collar of any dog without the consent of the owner, nor shall any person attach a registration tag to a dog for which it was not issued.
[1]
State law reference: As to attaching or removing dog tags, see N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.7.
If any dog registration tag is lost or stolen, it shall be replaced by the License Bureau upon application of the owner of the dog, production of the dog license and payment to the License Bureau of Fifty Cents ($0.50) to cover the cost of replacement.