[Adopted 2-6-2008 by Ord. No. 2008-1; amended in its entirety 10-21-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-18]
For the purpose of this article, the following terms shall have the meaning set forth in this section. When not inconsistent with the context, words used in the present tense include the future, words in the plural number include the singular, words in the singular number include the plural, and words in the male gender include the female gender.
ABANDONED
An owner or caregiver has forsaken a domesticated cat entirely or has neglected or refused to provide care and support to the cat. No person may desert or abandon any animal at any public or private location. The practice of the TNVR Program and the provision of care to a community cats in accordance with the provisions of this article do not constitute desertion or abandonment of the community cat. However, the placement of a cat at a community cat colony by a person other than the community cat caregiver constitutes abandonment. Any person who is found to be in violation of the provisions of this section shall be subject to penalties as set forth under § 1-11 of the Lumberton Township Code.
ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER
Any person employed or appointed by the Township who is authorized to investigate violations of laws and regulations concerning animals and to issue citations in accordance with New Jersey law and this Code.
CAREGIVER
Any person who provides food, water or shelter to or otherwise cares for a cat.
COMMUNITY CAT
Any free-roaming cat, which may or may not be feral, with a caretaker known or unknown. Community cats shall be distinguished from other cats through their ear-tip and sterilization.
DOMESTICATED CAT
For purposes of this Chapter, a cat that is socialized to humans and is appropriate as a companion for humans and is owned and regularly cared for as pet by an owner.
EARTIPPING
Straight-line cutting of the tip of the left ear of a cat while the cat is anesthetized.
HARBOR
The act of caring for and keeping an animal or the act of providing a premises or residence to which 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 time is shorter. Community cat caregivers do not harbor community cats for the purposes of this article, but are subject to the provisions of the ordinance pertaining to community cats.
MICROCHIP
An electronic identification device inserted into an animal, typically on the back between the shoulder blades, by a veterinarian in accordance with professional veterinary standards.
NUISANCE
Community cats shall constitute a public nuisance where said cats disturb the peace by:
A. 
Habitually howls, squawks or causes other objectionable noise resulting in a serious annoyance to a reasonable person; or
B. 
Disturbs the peace by habitually or repeatedly destroying, desecrating or soiling public or private property.
OWNER
Any person, firm, corporation, partnership, association, trust, estate or any other legal entity.
RESCUE GROUP
A for-profit or not-for-profit entity or a collaboration of individuals with at least one of its purposes being the adoption or placement of cats in homes with humans to serve as companion animals.
STRAY CAT
A cat that is regularly off the property of the owner, is not under the physical control and restraint of the owner.
SUITABLE SHELTER
Shelter that provides protection from rain, sun and other elements and that is adequate to protect the health of the cat.
TNR
Trap, neuter and return.
TNVR PROGRAM
A program pursuant to which community cats are trapped, sterilized, vaccinated against rabies and returned to the location where they were trapped.
ZOONOTIC DISEASE
Those diseases transmittable to humans from animals, including parasitic, bacterial, fungal and viral diseases.
A. 
Cat caregivers shall provide appropriate and adequate food, water and shelter for their cats.
B. 
The cat caregiver of a community cat shall exercise reasonable care to guard against the cat creating a nuisance.
C. 
The caregiver or owner of a sexually intact (not spayed or neutered) domesticated cat shall not permit his/her cat to roam unsupervised.
D. 
A caregiver of a community cat or an owner of a domesticated cat shall not abandon any cats under their care. Any owner of a domesticated cat so abandoned shall be subject to subject to the provisions of §§ 136-9 and 136-10, rather than the regulations set forth herein concerning community cats.
E. 
Community cats shall be permitted and caregivers shall be entitled to manage them in accordance with the terms and conditions of this article.
F. 
Community cats meeting the requirements of this section are exempt from any licensing, stray, and at-large provisions of this ordinance.
(1) 
Healthy community cats that have been trapped by Animal Services in accordance with this section, shall be considered to be "on the property of the owner" and thus not stray (off the property of the owner) to be impounded. Healthy community cats shall be immediately returned to the location at which they were found, released to a caregiver or adopted. Prior to being returned to the location at which they were found or released to a caregiver, community cats shall be sterilized, ear tipped while under anesthesia by a licensed veterinarian, and vaccinated for rabies.
(2) 
Notwithstanding the foregoing, whenever such cat is visibly injured or diseased and appears to be suffering and it reasonably appears that such cat cannot be expeditiously cured and returned to the field, transferred to a humane society or private animal nonprofit organization or placed in foster care, then Animal Services, acting in good faith and upon reasonable belief, may humanely euthanize the cat upon the advice of a licensed veterinarian.
G. 
Community cat caregiver requirements. Caregivers are responsible for the following:
(1) 
Taking steps that are reasonably likely to result in the vaccination of the population of cats in their care for rabies and making reasonable efforts to update the vaccinations on cats that can be recaptured;
(2) 
Taking steps that are reasonably likely to result in the sterilization, by a licensed veterinarian, of at least 90% of the colony population;
(3) 
Providing food, water and, if feasible, shelter for community cats under their care;
(4) 
The location of community cats must be maintained in compliance with trespassing and property laws;
(5) 
In the event that kittens are born to a colony cat, the caregiver shall take reasonable steps likely to result in the removal of the kittens after they have been weaned and the placement of the kittens in homes or foster homes for the purpose of subsequent permanent placement;
(6) 
Use due consideration to avoid the taking of rare, threatened or endangered species under the Endangered and Nongame Species Conservation Act, N.J.S.A. 23:2A-1 et seq.;
(7) 
Obtaining proper medical attention for any community cat that appears to require it;
(8) 
Register caretaker contact information with the Township Clerk and providing the following information: a) name of caregiver; b) contact information of caretakers.
H. 
Community cat requirements.
(1) 
The left ear of a community cat that has been sterilized and vaccinated shall be eartipped.
(2) 
An electronic animal identification device (EAID) shall be inserted into all TNVR community cats released since the adoption of this article by a veterinarian in accordance with professional medical standards (microchipping). The caregiver shall be the named contact for purposes of the EAID.
I. 
Disposition of community cats.
(1) 
An Animal Control Officer who has trapped a cat whose left ear has been tipped or which bears some other distinguishing mark indicating that the cat is a community cat shall scan the cat for a microchip. If a microchip is found, the officer shall be responsible for contacting the person named as owner or caregiver of the cat.
(2) 
If the owner or caregiver of the microchipped cat is not able to immediately take custody of the cat, the officer shall transport the cat to the Burlington County Animal Shelter. The owner or sponsor shall be responsible for retrieving the cat from the shelter within three business days or advising the shelter if the owner or caregiver does not intend to retrieve the cat.
A. 
The Township shall have the following rights:
(1) 
The right to seize or remove cats that have not been vaccinated against rabies and which are demonstrating signs of the disease.
(2) 
The right to seize/remove a cat that is creating a nuisance as defined above according to the procedures established under this article.
(3) 
The right to seize/remove cats when the caregiver regularly fails to comply with the requirements of § 136-18 and a replacement or substitute caregiver has not been identified within 60 days of the Township's notice to the caregiver regarding failure to comply with this article.
B. 
The requirements of this article notwithstanding, Animal Control Officers and police officers may investigate any nuisance complaint.
C. 
Nuisance abatement process and mitigation. A community cat who is found to be a public nuisance by disturbing the peace according to the standards defined in § 136-17 shall be handled according to the following procedures:
(1) 
Resolution of complaints — procedures.
(a) 
The requirements of this article notwithstanding, ACOs and police officers may investigate any nuisance complaint. If an ACO or police officer determines that an eartipped community cat is causing a nuisance as defined by this article, the ACO or police officer shall attempt to contact the caregiver or owner.
(b) 
The caregiver or owner shall begin nuisance abatement procedures within 48 hours and make all reasonable efforts to resolve the nuisance as quickly as possible, not to exceed 60 days. If the caregiver or owner fails to resolve the nuisance, the Animal Control Officer may issue a citation to the owner or caretaker or remove the cat. If an Animal Control Officer removes a community cat, the receiving municipal shelter or Animal Control must notify the community cat caregiver and allow the caregiver to retrieve the cat from the pound for adoption or relocation.
(c) 
If an Animal Control Officer or police officer reasonably determines that a cat is injured or poses a significant threat to public health, the officer may reduce the time that the owner or caregiver has to resolve the complaint, as necessary to protect the cat and public health, before taking further action.
(d) 
In the case of a natural disaster or medical/veterinary emergency, the Animal Control Officer or police officer may remove the cat, but within 24 hours the Animal Control Officer must provide the caregiver or owner with notice of the cat's whereabouts and allow the caregiver or owner an opportunity to retrieve the cat for treatment, return, or relocation.