Township of Greenwich, NJ Definitions; General Provisions

Terms defined. The words hereinafter defined shall have the meanings herein indicated for the purposes of this chapter as follows:

ANIMAL

Any live vertebrate creature, including, but not limited to, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish, but not humans.

ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER

Any person 18 years of age or older who has satisfactorily completed the course of study approved by the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services and the Police Training Commission as prescribed by Paragraphs (1) through (3) of Subsection a of Section 3 of P.L. 1983, c. 525 (N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.16a), or who has been employed in the State of New Jersey in the capacity of, and with similar responsibilities to those required of, a certified animal control officer pursuant to the provisions of P.L. 1983, c. 525, for a period of three years before January 17, 1987.

ANIMAL RESCUE ORGANIZATION

Any not-for-profit organization which has been granted tax exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code[1] and whose mission and practice is, in whole or in significant part, the rescue and placement of animals in permanent homes.

ANIMAL RESCUE ORGANIZATION FACILITY

The home or other facility in which an animal rescue organization houses and cares for an animal.

ANIMAL SHELTER

The County of Gloucester facility where dogs, cats or other animals are received, housed, given medical and other care, offered for adoption, or transferred to animal rescue organizations.

CAT

Any member of the feline species.

COMMUNITY CAT

Any free-roaming cat that may be cared for by one or more residents of the immediate area which has no discernible form of ownership identification; a community cat may or may not be feral. Community cats shall be distinguished from other cats by being sterilized, vaccinated against rabies, microchipped, ear tipped. Community cats are exempt from licensing, as well as stray and at-large provisions of this article but are subject to nuisance provisions herein.

[Added 9-20-2021 by Ord. No. 13-2021]

COMMUNITY CAT CAREGIVER

[Added 9-20-2021 by Ord. No. 13-2021]

(1)

Any organization or person authorized by the Township of Greenwich or sponsor who, in accordance with a community cat colony program to trap, neuter, vaccinate for rabies, ear tip and return community cats:

(a)

Neuters, vaccinates for rabies, ear tips and returns one or more community cats;

(b)

Provides care, including food, shelter, or medical care to the cat; or

(c)

Has temporary custody of the cat; or

(d)

Monitors the cat colony for new cats and maintains overall awareness of the status of the cat colony and the condition of the cats therein.

(2)

A community caregiver shall not be considered to own, possess, keep or harbor a community cat.

COMMUNITY CAT COLONY

A single community cat or group of community cats that congregate together outside as a unit. Although not every cat in a colony may be feral, any nonferal cats that congregate within a colony shall be deemed part of it. A community cat colony is sponsored and maintained by a community cat caregiver authorized by the Township of Greenwich.

[Added 9-20-2021 by Ord. No. 13-2021]

DOG

Any animal of the canine species (Canis familiaris), except dingoes.

DOG OF LICENSING AGE

Any dog which has attained the age of seven months or which possesses a set of permanent teeth.

EAR TIPPING

The straight-line cutting of the tip of one ear of a cat while the cat is anesthetized. Ear tipping the left ear is the best and universally accepted practice, although in the past cats may have been ear-tipped on the right ear.

[Added 9-20-2021 by Ord. No. 13-2021]

ENFORCEMENT

The Township Official shall enforce the provisions of this chapter, except for Article III, which shall be enforced by the Municipal Humane Law Enforcement Officer, the Gloucester County Chief Humane Law Enforcement Officer, or the designee of the Gloucester County Division of Animal Control. Nothing herein shall prohibit a private citizen from bringing or signing a complaint for an alleged violation of this chapter.

FERAL CAT

A cat that is unsocialized to humans and has a temperament of extreme fear of, and resistance to, contact with humans. Feral cats are included in the definition of "community cats" as community cats may or may not be feral. Feral cats are:

[Added 9-20-2021 by Ord. No. 13-2021]

(1)

Born in the wild;

(2)

Offspring of socialized or feral cats and not socialized; or

(3)

Formerly socialized cats that have been abandoned and have reverted to an unsocialized state.

FOWL

Any feathered vertebrate animal, including, but not limited to, chickens, hens, or ducks raised for eggs for personal consumption or otherwise.

HARBOR

The act of caring for and keeping an animal or the act of providing a premises or residence where the animal returns for food, shelter or care, where the caregiver is providing the primary source of sustenance for the animal for at least 10 days, whichever is time is shorter. Community cat caregivers do not harbor community cats for the purposes of this article, but are subject to the provisions of this article pertaining to community cats.

[Amended 9-20-2021 by Ord. No. 13-2021]

HUMANE TRAP

Any trap used to captures stray dogs and cats that is so constructed so that it does not harm the animal.

[Added 9-20-2021 by Ord. No. 13-2021]

MICROCHIP

An electronic animal identification device that is inserted into an animal, typically on the back between the shoulder blades, by a veterinarian in accordance with professional medical standards.

[Added 9-20-2021 by Ord. No. 13-2021]

KENNEL

Any establishment wherein or whereon the business of boarding or selling dogs or breeding dogs for sale is carried on, except a pet shop.

MUNICIPAL HUMANE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER

A Greenwich Township sworn law enforcement officer who is recommended by the Police Chief of the Greenwich Township Police Department and appointed by the governing body via resolution pursuant to N.J.S.A. 4:22-14.1 with qualifications and duties as provided in N.J.S.A. 4:22-14.2.

NEUTER

To neuter an animal means to have a licensed veterinarian surgically sterilize the animal. For the purposes of this chapter, "neuter" shall mean to neuter a male animal or spay a female animal.

NUISANCE

[Added 9-20-2021 by Ord. No. 13-2021]

(1)

Disturbing the peace by:

(a)

Habitual or continuous howling, barking, crying or screaming; and

(b)

The habitual and significant destruction, accumulation of feces, desecration or soiling of property against the wishes of the owner of the property, in particular, the creation of conditions leading to the breeding of fleas or flies, odors or noises;

(c)

Habitually chasing or otherwise molesting passersby;

(d)

Habitually trespassing upon public or private grounds;

(e)

As defined and prohibited herein and below;

(f)

Or as the case may be under existing local ordinance defining a nuisance.

(2)

For purposes of this article, "habitually" means occurring on at least two separate occasions within a time period of one month; except that barking, howling, crying or screaming habitually, means making the sound persistently or continuously for at least 30 minutes occurring at least three separate times within a period of eight hours. For purpose of this article, "persistently" or "continuously" shall mean nonstop utterance for 30 consecutive minutes with interruptions of less than 30 seconds at a time.

OFFER FOR SALE

To sell, offer for sale or adoption, advertise for the sale of, barter, auction, give away or otherwise dispose of a dog or cat.

OWNER

[Added 9-20-2021 by Ord. No. 13-2021]

(1)

Any person, household, firm, corporation or other organization who:

(a)

Possesses, harbors, keeps, has control of, a legal title to, a property interest in, or permanent custody of any animal regulated by this article;

(b)

For three days or more has temporary custody of, keeps, possesses or exercises control over any animal.

(2)

A person must be age 18 or older to be considered the legal owner of an animal. If a person under age 18 is considered to be the custodian or caretaker of the animal, the parent or legal guardian shall be considered the legal owner of the animal.

(3)

A community caretaker is not an owner of community cats for the purposes of this article but is subject to the provisions pertaining to community cat caregivers.

PERSON

An individual, firm, partnership, corporation or association of persons.

PET SHOP

A retail establishment where dogs and cats are sold, exchanged, bartered or offered for sale as pet animals to the general public at retail. Such definition shall not include an animal care facility or animal rescue organization, as defined.

SPONSOR

An individual or group or individuals or a not-for-profit animal welfare organization which, after recognition by the municipality governing body, oversees the implementation and management of community cat colonies, exercises oversight of community cat colonies authorized by the municipality, coordinates caregivers, offers services to caregivers and community cat colonies, and works to resolve community cat nuisance complaints in accordance with the provisions of this article, and keeps both the Township of Greenwich and the Gloucester County Animal Control advised regarding the conditions of the colonies under their oversight.

[Added 9-20-2021 by Ord. No. 13-2021]

STRAY

Any animal that is found to be at large, whether lost by its owner or otherwise, or that is on public or private property, the common areas of apartments, condominiums, mobile home parks or other multiresidential premises, and that does not have an identification tag and for which there is no identifiable owner.

TOWNSHIP

The Township of Greenwich in the County of Gloucester.

TOWNSHIP OFFICIAL

Any Township Code Enforcement Official, Township Police Department officer, Gloucester County Animal Control Officer, the Municipal Clerk, or any other official or person assigned or designated by the Mayor and Council.

TRAP-NEUTER-VACCINATE-RETURN PROGRAM (TNVR)

A program pursuant to which community feral and stray cats are humanely trapped, spayed or neutered, vaccinated against rabies, and returned to the location at which they were trapped. A cat may receive a microchip as part of a TNVR program.

[Added 9-20-2021 by Ord. No. 13-2021]

VETERINARIAN

An individual who is licensed to engage in the practice of veterinary medicine in the State of New Jersey.

[1]

Editor's Note: See 26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3).

Word usage.

(1)

The words "and" and "or" may be used interchangeably, and either of the two may be applicable, whichever is more conducive towards effectuating the provisions of this chapter.

(2)

Personal pronouns shall mean either the singular or plural, whichever is applicable and conducive towards effectuating the provisions of this chapter.

(3)

The masculine, feminine or neuter gender shall be implied, whichever is appropriate and conducive for effectuating the provisions of this chapter.