As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
Dog, cat, domestic, stray, or feral.
Any person or agency designated or certified by the State
of New Jersey to enforce the provisions of this chapter.
Any member of the domestic feline species, male, female or
altered.
Any cat which has attained the age of seven months or which
possesses a set of permanent teeth.
Any room or group of rooms, cage or exhibition pen, not part
of a kennel, wherein cats for sale are kept or displayed.
The agency or department of this Township or any designated
representative thereof charged with administering the issuance and/or
revocation of permits and licenses under the provisions of this article.
Rendered permanently incapable of reproduction, as certified
by a licensed veterinarian.
When applied to the proprietorship of a cat, includes 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.
Any individual, corporation, partnership, organization or
institution commonly recognized by law as a unit.
The Township of Union in the County of Union.
A.
Vaccination and license requirements.
No person shall own, keep, harbor or maintain any cat over seven months
of age within the Township, unless such cat is vaccinated and licensed.
The provisions of this section do not apply to cats held in a cattery
or those held by a state or federal licensed research facility or
a veterinary establishment where cats are received or kept for diagnostic,
medical, surgical or other treatments or licensed animal shelters,
pounds, kennels or pet shops.
B.
Vaccination. All cats shall be vaccinated against rabies by a licensed 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, except as provided for in Subsection D.
C.
Vaccination certificate. A certificate
of vaccination shall be issued to the owner of each animal vaccinated
on a form recommended by the state.
D.
Exemptions. Any cat may be exempted
from the requirements of such vaccination for a specified period of
time by the local Board of Health, upon presentation of a veterinarian's
certificate stating that, because of an infirmity or other physical
condition or regimen of therapy, the inoculation of such cat shall
be deemed inadvisable.
A.
Display of license number. Any
person who shall own, keep or harbor a cat of licensing age shall
annually apply for and procure from the Clerk of the municipality,
or other official designated by the governing body thereof to license
cats in the municipality in which he/she resides, a license and official
registration tag with license number or a registration sleeve for
each cat so owned, kept or harbored and shall place upon such cat
a collar or other device with the license number securely fastened
thereto or displayed thereon. Acceptable methods of displaying the
license number shall include but are not limited to breakaway or elastic
collars. License tags or sleeves are not transferable.
B.
Time for applying for license.
The owner of any newly acquired cat of licensing age or of any cat
which attains licensing age shall make application for a license tag
or sleeve 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 for no longer than 90 days.
C.
Cats brought into Township.
(1)
Any person who shall bring
or cause to be brought into the Township any cat licensed in another
state for the current year and bearing a registration tag or sleeve
and shall keep the same or permit the same to be kept within the Township
for a period of more than 90 days shall immediately apply for a license
and registration tag or sleeve for each such cat.
(2)
Any person who shall bring or cause to be brought
into this Township any unlicensed cat and shall keep the same or permit
the same to be kept within the Township for a period of more than
10 days shall immediately apply for a license and registration tag
or sleeve for each such cat.
D.
Application, contents and preservation
of information. The application shall state the breed, sex, age, color
and markings of the cat for which the license and registration is
sought and whether it is of a longhaired or shorthaired variety; also
the name, street and post office address of the owner and the person
who shall keep or harbor 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 Clerk or other local official designated
to license cats in the municipality.
E.
License forms and tags. License
forms and official tags or sleeves shall be furnished by the municipality
and shall be numbered serially and shall bear the year of issuance
and the name of the municipality.
F.
Evidence of inoculation with rabies vaccine or certification of exemption requirement for license. No Municipal Clerk or other official designated by the governing body of any municipality to license cats therein shall grant any such license and official registration tag or sleeve for any cat, unless the owner thereof provides evidence that the cat to be licensed and registered has been inoculated with a rabies vaccine of a type approved by and administered in accordance with the recommendations of the United States Department of Agriculture and the United States Department of Human Services or has been certified exempt as provided by § 660-6D of this article. The rabies inoculation shall be administered by a duly licensed veterinarian or by such other veterinarian permitted by law to do the same.
G.
License fee schedule.[1]
(1)
A license shall be issued
after payment of a fee of $18 for each unneutered cat and $13 for
each neutered cat.
(2)
In addition to the fees charged
herein for licensing, there shall be an additional charge of $2 per
month for each month that the owner of the cat requiring a license
fails to renew. The said monthly penalty for failure to renew shall
commence each April 1 of the licensing period.
H.
Payment of fees; renewals; expiration
date of license. A license from another municipality shall be accepted.
The person applying for the license and registration tag and/or sleeve
shall pay the fee fixed or authorized. The fee for the renewal of
license and registration tag or sleeve shall be the same as for the
original, and said license, registration tag or sleeve and renewal
thereof shall expire on the last day of January in each year. Only
one license and registration tag or sleeve shall be required in the
licensing year for any cat in this Township. Any valid New Jersey
license tag or sleeve issued by a New Jersey municipality shall be
accepted by this municipality as evidence of compliance.
I.
Loss of license. If a license
tag or sleeve has been misplaced or lost, the Clerk or other official
designated by the governing body may issue a duplicate license and/or
registration sleeve for that particular cat at a fee of $0.25.
J.
Proof of licensing. Proof of licensing
shall be produced by any person owning, keeping, maintaining or harboring
a cat, upon the request of any health official, police officer, animal
control officer or other authorized person.
K.
Interfering with persons performing
duties under this article. No person shall hinder, molest or interfere
with anyone authorized or empowered to perform any duty under this
article.
It shall be unlawful for anyone to leave or abandon a cat(s)
or kitten(s) as feral to fend for themselves. Unwanted animals shall
be brought to the Township of Union Animal Shelter during visitors'
hours to surrender the animal or to call our ACO or Shelter Attendant
to pick up the animal. It is unlawful to leave an animal or animals
on the grounds of the shelter unattended as this will constitute an
act of abandonment which violates the animal cruelty laws.
