[Adopted 4-5-1983 by Ord. No. 0:83-4; amended in its entirety 8-7-1990 by Ord. No. 0:90-15 (Ch. 25, Art. III,
of the 1990 Code)]
The Harmony Township Committee shall annually
at the reorganization meeting of the Township Committee appoint a
certified Animal Control Officer, whose term of office shall continue
until the subsequent reorganization meeting of the Township Committee.
In the event that a vacancy should occur in the office of the certified
Animal Control Officer by virtue of the death, resignation or removal
from office for cause of the certified Animal Control Officer, such
vacancy shall be filled for the unexpired term thereof.
[Added 2-1-2002 by Ord. No. 02-1]
The Harmony Township Committee shall annually
at the reorganization meeting of the Township Committee appoint a
Deputy Animal Control Officer, who shall serve in the event of the
absence or disability of the certified Animal Control Officer.
[Added 2-1-2002 by Ord. No. 02-1]
[Added 2-1-2002 by Ord. No. 02-1]
The initial term of the office of Deputy Animal
Control Officer shall be for the remainder of the calendar year of
such appointment, and thereafter each succeeding appointment shall
be for a period of one year, to commence on January 1 of the year
in which the appointment is made, and shall be subject to appointment
annually by the Township Committee on the corresponding day of each
year thereafter.
[Added 2-1-2002 by Ord. No. 02-1]
The Deputy Animal Control Officer shall receive
such compensation as shall be provided under an ordinance fixing the
salaries of several officers and officials of the Township of Harmony,
County of Warren and State of New Jersey, as the same shall be amended
or supplemented from time to time.
The Animal Control Officer shall have the duty
to enforce.
The Animal Control Officer shall have the duty
to issue, upon application of any person who shall own, keep or harbor
a dog of licensing age and payment of the fees prescribed from time
to time by ordinance therefor, a license and official metal registration
tag for each such dog so owned, kept or harbored. The Animal Control
Officer shall ascertain on January 31 of each calendar year and at
such other times as shall be necessary to effectively enforce the
requirement to license dogs of licensing age pursuant to the provisions
of N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.2 and report the names and addresses of the owners
or persons keeping or harboring any dog without having complied therewith
to the Harmony Township Committee. Thereafter, the Animal Control
Officer shall have the duty to file a complaint in the Municipal Court
or such other court as might hereinafter be vested with jurisdiction
to hear the same, against the owners or persons keeping or harboring
such dogs, to effect enforcement of the aforesaid statute.
The Animal Control Officer is hereby authorized
to go upon any premises to seize for impounding any dog or dogs which
he may lawfully seize and impound when such officer is in immediate
pursuit of such dog or dogs, except upon the premises of the owner
of the dog, if said owner is present and forbids the same.
Pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.16,
the Animal Control Officer of the Township of Harmony is hereby authorized
to take into custody and impound:
A.
Any dog off the
premises of the owner or of the person keeping or harboring said dog
which said Animal Control Officer has reason to believe is a stray
dog.
B.
Any dog off the
premises of the owner or of the person keeping or harboring said dog
without a current registration on its collar.
C.
Any female dog
in season off the premises of the owner or of the person keeping or
harboring said dog.
The owner or person keeping or harboring any
dog taken into custody and impounded by the said Animal Control Officer,
in accordance with the authority hereby conferred, shall, as a condition
precedent to claiming said dog, pay to the Animal Control Officer
of the Township of Harmony, for the use and benefit of the Township
of Harmony, the sum of $4 per day for maintenance for each day in
which said dog has been impounded, plus whatever additional expenses
are incurred by the Township of Harmony resulting from its having
been taken into custody and detained.
Nothing herein contained shall be construed
to be in limitation of any rights which may be exercised pursuant
to N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.16 by the said Animal Control Officer relative
to any dog seized and impounded.
The Animal Control Officer shall not be removed
during such Officer's term of office for cause without being afforded
an opportunity for a hearing before the Township Committee. Such hearing
shall take place only after notice, in writing, is served upon the
Animal Control Officer embodying the charge or charges against such
Animal Control Officer, setting forth the nature thereof to which
he or she shall be called upon to respond, not less than 15 days subsequent
to the service thereof upon such Animal Control Officer.
