[Adopted 7-24-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-5; amended in its entirety 7-28-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-7]
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
Any free roaming feral cat that may be cared for by one or
more residents of the immediate areas and which has no discernible
from of ownership identification.
A person who may provide care including food, water, shelter
or medical care to a community cat. A community cat caregiver shall
be considered to be the owner, custodian, harborer, controller or
keeper of a community cat.
A group of cats that congregate, more or less, together as
a unit.
A cat that is socialized to humans and is appropriate as
a companion for humans.
The removal of the 1/4 inch tip of a community cat's
left ear, performed while the cat is under anesthesia by a licensed
veterinarian and designed to be an indication that the community cat
has been sterilized and vaccinated for rabies.
A cat that:
Disturbing of the peace by a) habitually or continually howling,
crying or screaming, or b) the habitual and significant destruction,
desecration or soiling of property against the wishes of the owner
of the property.
Trap, neuter, return.
A program pursuant to which feral and stray cats are trapped,
neutered or spayed, vaccinated against rabies and returned to the
location where they congregate.
A.
Purpose: to permit implementation of a Community Cat Program (CCP)
in Waterford Township, New Jersey for the purpose of reducing the
population of feral and free roaming cats, benefitting public health,
improving the quality of life for residents and ensuring the humane
treatment of community cats.
B.
Implementation: The Township's Animal Control contractor (Animal
Services), Police Department or other representative as designated
by the Township shall administer and implement the programs set forth
in this chapter in accordance with applicable guidelines and standards
as set forth in the state and local statutes.
A.
The Township establishes the following community cats' requirements:
(1)
Community cats may be cared for on the private property of the caregiver
or upon the property of another with the permission of the owner or
property manager.
(2)
All community cat caregivers shall make reasonable efforts to have
all free-roaming cats within their care sterilized, vaccinated against
rabies and ear tipped at their cost for easy identification. Community
cat caregivers shall have 30 days from the time they render care to
a community cat to arrange for sterilization, rabies vaccination and
ear tipping or to be placed on a waiting list if no appointment can
be scheduled within 30 days.
(3)
All community cat caregivers are required to make reasonable efforts
to provide certain necessities to each community cat under his/her
care on a regular/ongoing basis, including but not limited to proper
nutrition, adequate quantities of visibly clean and fresh water and
medical care as needed. If medical care is unavailable or too expensive,
the community cat caregiver must not allow the cat to suffer. Feeding
is permitted during daylight hours only. Food must be offered to cats
in a container and shall not be dumped on the ground. Any food remaining
after cats have eaten must be removed before dark. Feeding areas must
be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition.
(4)
Community cat caregivers shall make reasonable attempts to remove
young kittens from the field for domestication.
B.
Community cats meeting the requirements of this section are exempt
from any licensing, stray and at-large provisions of this article.
C.
Animal Services or the Police Department shall have the right to
remove or authorize the removal of any free-roaming cat or community
cat because of immediate public health or safety concern. In such
case, a reasonable attempt shall be made to notify the caregiver.
D.
No community cat shall be released at any governmentally owned or
managed park, natural area, area deemed as environmentally sensitive
land or on any easement adjacent to such lands without approval from
the Township or its representatives.
E.
Trapping of community cats by those who are not community cat caregivers,
as defined above, or an animal control officer employed by the Township,
or members of law enforcement, is prohibited unless the person trapping
the cats is doing so for the purpose of providing medical attention
for a sick or injured cat or for the purpose of TNR. Persons who trap
free-roaming cats for the purpose of TNR must comply with the provisions
of this ordinance to be considered a "community cat caregiver."
F.
Nuisance abatement and resolution.
(1)
A community cat that a) habitually howls, squawks or causes other objectionable noise resulting in a serious annoyance to a reasonable person shall be deemed to be committing an act in violation of this section; or b) disturbs the peace by habitually or repeatedly destroying, desecrating or soiling public or private property shall constitute a public nuisance. This provision shall not apply to community cats or caregivers in compliance with § 94-55.
(2)
Animal Services and/or the Waterford Township Police Department shall investigate an alleged violation of this section upon the receipt of a Sworn Affidavit of complaint in a form provided by Animal Services and signed by the individual making the complaint and who resides where the violation occurred or in close vicinity of the alleged violation. For the enforcement of Subsection F(2) herein, the affidavit shall specify the address or location of the alleged violation, the nature, time and date(s) of the act, the name and address of the caregiver, if known, and a description of the animal, if known.
(3)
Animal Services and/or the Waterford Township Police Department,
upon receipt of the sworn affidavit of complaint, shall issue a citation
to the caregiver of any animal alleged to be in violation of the subsection.
The owner of an unneutered domesticated cat shall not permit
the cat to roam off the owner's property unsupervised.
The Township through its enforcement agencies or Animal Control
shall have the following rights:
A.
The right to seize or remove cats from a colony that have not been
vaccinated against rabies and which are demonstrating signs of disease.
B.
The light to seize/remove a cat from a colony that is creating a
nuisance as defined above and the caregiver has been given 15 days
to remove and relocate the cat and has failed to do so.
