[Adopted 2-9-2006 as Ch. 265, Arts. I and IV, of the 2006 Code of the Borough
of High Bridge; amended in its entirety 5-9-2024 by Ord. No. 2024-013]
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
Releasing, leaving or refusing to pick up or claim any animal
which one owned, possessed or had in one's custody or control.
An animal control center or animal shelter, maintained by
or under contract with any state, county or municipality, whose mission
and practice is, in whole or in significant part, the rescue and placement
of animals in permanent homes or rescue organizations.
A certified municipal animal control officer or, in the absence
or unavailability of such an officer, the chief law enforcement officer
of the municipality or his/her designee.
The New Jersey Department of Health.
Any dog or dog hybrid.
Any dog or cat which has attained the age of seven months,
or which possesses a set of permanent teeth.
Any cat, dog, or livestock other than poultry.
Refers to both the hygienic care and cleaning of a dog, as
well as a process by which a dog's physical appearance is enhanced.
A dog groomer (or simply "groomer") is a person who earns their living
grooming dogs.
Any establishment wherein or whereon the business of boarding
or selling dogs or breeding dogs for sale is carried on, except a
pet shop.
One or more animals born to a female animal.
To sell, offer for sale or adoption, advertise for sale of,
barter, auction, give away or otherwise dispose of a dog or cat.
When applied to the proprietorship of a dog or cat, includes
every person, firm, association, corporation, or responsible party
for an animal, owning, controlling, harboring, or keeping any dog
or cat which is over the age of seven months or possesses a set of
permanent teeth or any other animals. If the owner is a minor as defined
by statute, the minor's parent(s) or legal guardian(s) shall
be the owner for purposes of this article.
Any room or group of rooms, cage or exhibition pen, not part
of a kennel, wherein dogs for sale are kept or displayed.
Any dog or dog hybrid declared potentially dangerous by a
municipal court pursuant to N.J.S.A. 4:19-24.
An establishment for the confinement of dogs seized either
under the provisions of this article or otherwise.
The restraining of an animal by the tying to an object or
structure, including, without limitation, a house, tree, fence, post,
garage, weight or shed, by any means, including, without limitation,
rope, cord, leash or running line, but shall not include the use of
a leash used to walk the animal or to form of restraint used in the
transportation of an animal.
Any cat which has attacked or bitten any human being without
provocation.
Any dog or dog hybrid declared vicious by a municipal court
pursuant to N.J.S.A. 4:19-23.
A.
Licenses shall be required for the following dogs of licensing age:
(1)
Any dog owned and kept within the Borough on the first day of January
of any calendar year.
(2)
Any dog acquired by any person during the course of any calendar
year.
(3)
Any unlicensed dog brought into the Borough by any person and kept
within the Borough for more than 10 days.
(4)
Any dog, licensed by another state, brought into the Borough by any
person and kept within the Borough for more than 90 days.
(5)
Any dog that the municipal court declares to be potentially dangerous.
B.
Only one license and registration tag shall be required in any licensing
year for any dog owned in New Jersey, and the license and tag issued
by any other municipality of this state shall be accepted by the Borough
as evidence of compliance with this article.
A.
Each application for a dog license shall be made to the High Bridge
Borough Clerk's Office and shall give the following information:
(1)
A general description of the dog sought to be licensed, including
breed, sex, age, color and markings, and whether the dog is of a long-
or short-haired variety.
(2)
Name, street and post office address of the owner of the dog and
the person who shall keep the dog if other than the owner, a telephone
number for the owner of the dog and the person who shall keep the
dog if other than the owner.
B.
Registration numbers shall be issued in the order in which they are
received.
C.
The Borough shall:
(1)
Issue a potentially dangerous dog registration number and red identification
tag along with a municipal potentially dangerous dog license upon
a demonstration of sufficient evidence by the owner to the Animal
Control Officer that they have complied with the court's orders.
The last three digits of each potentially dangerous dog registration
number issued by the Borough will be the three-number code assigned
to the municipality in the regulations promulgated pursuant to N.J.S.A.
4:19-33. The Animal Control Officer shall verify, in writing, compliance
to the Borough Clerk to license dogs in the municipality.
(2)
Publicize a telephone number for reporting violations of this act.
This telephone number shall be forwarded to the Department and any
changes in this number shall be reported immediately to the Department.
Applications for licenses for dogs which are required to be
licensed by the provisions of 120-9A(1) shall be made before the first
day of April of each year. In all other cases, the application for
a license shall be made within 10 days of the date upon which the
dog in question first becomes subject to the provisions of this article.
The person applying for the license shall pay a fee of $15.20
for each dog, annually, which includes $1.20 for any dog under Public
Laws of 1983, Chapter 181.[1] Any person applying for a license shall pay a fee of $3 for any dog of reproductive age which has not had its reproductive capacity permanently altered through sterilization, pursuant to Assembly Bill 1917, adopted as Chapter 172 of the Laws of 1983.[2] The same fees shall be charged for the annual renewal
of each license and registration tag. There shall be a late fee of
$5 for any license which is applied for after it is due. There shall
be a charge of $2 for the replacement of any license or tag. Notwithstanding
the above, the fee for each potentially dangerous dog license and
each renewal thereof shall be $500 annually in accordance with N.J.S.A.
4:19-31.
Each dog license and registration tag shall expire on the last
day of March of the year following the year in which is was issued.
Dogs used as guides for blind persons and commonly known as
"Seeing Eye dogs," dogs used to assist handicapped persons and commonly
known as "service dogs," or dogs used to assist deaf persons and commonly
known as "hearing ear" dogs shall be licensed in the same manner as
other dogs, except that the owner shall not be required to pay any
fee.
No person shall own a dog within the Borough of High Bridge
unless it has been vaccinated against rabies.
Vaccinations shall be performed by a veterinarian licensed to
practice in the State of New Jersey. The vaccine used shall be from
a manufacturer licensed by the Bureau of Animal Industry of the United
States Department of Agriculture. The dosage shall be as recommended
by the manufacturer. All dogs shall be revaccinated before the expiration
of the period of time for which the vaccine used is known to be effective.
The Director of Health and Welfare may exempt any dog from the provisions of §§ 120-15 through 120-20 if there is presented to him a certificate from a licensed veterinarian stating that it would be undesirable to vaccinate a particular dog for a specified period of time because of the dog's age, infirmity or other physical condition.
The fact that a dog has been vaccinated against rabies shall
be evidenced by a certificate from the veterinarian performing the
vaccination. The certificate shall either be on a form approved by
the Director of Health and Welfare or standard immunization certificate
used by the veterinarian. The certificate shall be presented to the
Director of Health and Welfare within 10 days after each vaccination.
In the case of dogs being vaccinated before being brought to the Borough,
the certificate shall be presented to the Director of Health and Welfare
within 10 days after the dog is brought into the Borough.
No person shall own a dog in the Borough of High Bridge except
in compliance with the following regulations.
A.
Registration tags. A metal registration tag shall be issued for each
dog licensed. Every licensed dog shall wear a collar or harness with
its registration tag securely fastened to it.
B.
Use of registration tags. No person, except the Animal Control Officer
or a police officer in the performance of their duties, shall remove
a registration tag from the collar of any dog without the consent
of the owner, or attach a registration tag to a dog for which it was
not issued.
C.
Disturbing the peace. It shall be unlawful for any property owner
or tenant to allow any domesticated or caged animal to create a sound
across a real property line which unreasonably disturbs or interferes
with the peace, comfort, and repose of any resident, or to refuse
or intentionally fail to cease the unreasonable noise when ordered
to do so by a police officer. Prima facie evidence of a violation
of this section shall include but not be limited to:
(1)
Vocalizing (howling, yelping, barking, squawking, etc.) for 20 minutes
without interruption, which is defined as an average of four or more
vocalizations per minute in that period.
(2)
It is an affirmative defense under this section that the dog or other
animal was provoked to violate this article by a person other than
the property owner, tenant or a person visiting the property owner
or tenant, any child not residing with or visiting the property owner
or tenant, a vehicle operated by a person other than the property
owner, tenant or a person visiting the property owner or tenant, or
any other animal that either is not owned by the property owner, tenant
or a person visiting the property owner or tenant or does not have
the permission of the property owner or tenant to be on the property,
including but not limited to wild animals that may come on the property.
D.
Running at large. No person shall allow any dogs, cattle, horses,
swine, fowl or any other animals to run at large upon the public streets
or in any public park, in any building or in any other public place
within the Borough, nor permit to run at large upon private property
without the permission of the owner.
E.
Control required. No person owning, keeping or harboring any dog
shall suffer or permit it to be upon the public or private streets
or in any public park/open space area unless such dog is accompanied
by a person and is securely confined and controlled by a leash, cord,
or chain so that the dog does not come in physical contact with any
person or pet without the consent of the person or, in the case of
a pet, the consent of the person responsible for or who has control
of the pet.
F.
Property damage. No person owning or in control of a dog shall permit
it to damage any lawn, shrubbery, flowers, grounds, or other property.
G.
Curbing of dogs. Every person owning or in control of a dog shall
be responsible for curbing it whenever the dog is on public property
or property dedicated for public use.
H.
Restrictions on leaving animals in vehicles. No animal shall be confined
in a parked or standing vehicle or enclosed trailer for a period of
15 or more minutes when the temperature during such period is below
32° F. or above 75° F.
I.
Tethering of dogs.
(1)
Dogs may be tethered under the following conditions:
(a)
The tether must be at least 15 feet long and have an operative
swivel on both ends, weigh no more than 1/8 of the dog's weight
and be attached to a properly fitted collar or harness.
(b)
The collar used for tethering may not be a choke chain collar,
slip collar or prong collar.
(c)
The tethered dog must have easy access to drinking water, edible
food, dry ground and adequate shade and/or shelter within the tethering
area.
(d)
The tether may not be used in an area where it may be tangled
around an object, such as, but not limited to, a tree, pole, fence,
or stake.
(e)
The tether cannot inhibit the movement of the animal's
limbs or cause injury, harm, entanglement or strangulation.
(f)
The tether must restrain the dog within the bounds of the owner's
or custodian's property.
(g)
The tether must terminate no less than five feet from any fence,
pool, wall, vehicle, tree or roadway, or other object or obstruction
upon which the animal might harm themselves.
(h)
Dogs may be tethered for no more than six consecutive hours
in any twenty-four-hour period of time.
(i)
If there are multiple dogs, each dog shall be tethered separately
and in such a manner that the tethers shall not become entangled with
each other.
(j)
No dog shall be tethered at a vacant structure or premises for
any purpose when it is not monitored by a competent adult who is present
at the property for the duration of such tethering.
(k)
No dog that is sick or injured shall be tethered.
(l)
No dogs shall be tethered between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and
6:00 a.m.
(m)
No animal shall be left outside during inclement weather, e.g.,
rainstorms, snowstorms, ice storms, hurricanes, or thunderstorms.
(2)
Dog shelters.
(a)
Dog shelters shall be a suitable size to accommodate the dog
in both standing and lying positions.
(b)
It shall be moistureproof, windproof, ventilated and in cold
temperatures shall promote the retention of body heat.
(c)
It shall be made of durable material with a solid, moistureproof
floor raised at least two inches from the ground.
(d)
It shall have a sufficient quantity of clean bedding material
consisting of hay, straw, cedar shavings, or equivalent to provide
insulation and protection against cold and dampness.
(e)
Drinking water is available in a clean, liquid state. Snow or
ice is not an acceptable water source.
(f)
The doghouse or similar structure and the surrounding area shall
be free from excessive dirt, trash and waste.
(g)
For temperatures below 32° F., the doghouse or structure
shall have a wind break at the entrance.
(h)
For temperatures above 85° F., all dogs must be afforded
one or more separate areas of shade large enough to accommodate the
entire body of each dog and protect them from the direct rays of the
sun.
It shall be the duty of the Animal Control Officer and/or any
police officer to receive and investigate complaints against dogs.
If they have reasonable cause to believe that the dog is a nuisance
or poses a danger to person or property, they shall issue a Borough
summons to the owner for appearance before the Judge of the High Bridge
Borough Court.
A.
The Animal Control Officer shall notify the owner of an allegedly
vicious dog or cat, in writing, that a complaint has been made and
require the owner to appear before the Municipal Court at a stated
time and place for a hearing.
B.
Dog declared vicious by Municipal Court; conditions.
(2)
A dog shall not be declared vicious for inflicting death or serious
bodily injury as defined in N.J.S.A. 2C:11-1b upon a person if the
dog was provoked. The municipality shall bear the burden of proof
to demonstrate that the dog was not provoked.
(3)
If the Municipal Court declares a dog to be vicious, and no appeal
is made of this ruling pursuant to § 102-22H, the dog shall
be destroyed in a humane and expeditious manner, except that no dog
may be destroyed during the pendency of an appeal.
C.
Dog declared potentially dangerous; conditions.
(1)
The Municipal Court shall declare a dog to be potentially dangerous
if it finds by clear and convincing evidence that the dog:
D.
Registration of potentially dangerous dogs; conditions. If the Municipal
Court declares the dog to be potentially dangerous, it shall issue
an order and a schedule for compliance which, in part, shall require
the owner to comply with the following conditions:
(1)
To apply, at their own expense, to the Borough Clerk to license dogs
pursuant to N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.2, for a special municipal potentially
dangerous dog license, municipal registration number, and red identification
tag issued pursuant to this article. The owner shall, at their own
expense, have the registration number tattooed upon the dog in a prominent
location. A potentially dangerous dog shall be impounded until the
owner obtains a municipal potentially dangerous dog license, municipal
registration number, and red identification tag;
(2)
To display, in a conspicuous manner, a sign on their premises warning that a potentially dangerous dog is on the premises. The sign shall be visible and legible from 50 feet of the enclosure required pursuant to Subsection D(3);
(3)
To immediately erect and maintain an enclosure for the potentially
dangerous dog on the property where the potentially dangerous dog
will be kept and maintained, which has sound sides, top and bottom
to prevent the potentially dangerous dog from escaping by climbing,
jumping or digging and within a fence of at least six feet in height
separated by at least three feet from the confined area. The owner
of a potentially dangerous dog shall securely lock the enclosure to
prevent the entry of the general public and to preclude any release
or escape of a potentially dangerous dog by an unknowing child or
other person. All potentially dangerous dogs shall be confined in
the enclosure or, if taken out of the enclosure, securely muzzled
and restrained with a tether approved by the Animal Control Officer
and having a minimum tensile strength sufficiently in excess of that
required to restrict the potentially dangerous dog's movements
to a radius of no more than three feet from the owner and under the
direct supervision of the owner;
(4)
May require the owner to maintain liability insurance in an amount
determined by the Municipal Court to cover any damage or injury caused
by the potentially dangerous dog. The liability insurance, which may
be separate from any other homeowner policy, shall contain a provision
requiring the municipality in which the owner resides to be named
as an additional insured for the sole purpose of being notified by
the insurance company of any cancellation, termination, or expiration
of the liability insurance policy.
E.
Obligations of owner of potentially dangerous dog. The owner of a
potentially dangerous dog shall:
(1)
Comply with the provisions of this article in accordance with the
schedule established by the Municipal Court, but in no case more than
60 days subsequent to the date of determination;
(2)
Notify the licensing authority, local police department, and the
Animal Control Officer if a potentially dangerous dog is at large,
or has attacked a human being or killed a domestic animal;
(3)
Notify the licensing authority, local police department, and the
Animal Control Officer within 24 hours of the death, sale or donation
of a potentially dangerous dog;
(4)
Prior to selling or donating the dog, inform the prospective owner
that the dog has been declared potentially dangerous;
(5)
Upon the sale or donation of the dog to a person residing in a different
municipality, notify the department and the licensing authority, police
department or force, and animal control officer of that municipality
of the transfer of ownership and the name, address, and telephone
number of the new owner; and
F.
Violation by owner; fine, seizure, impoundment of dog.
(1)
The owner of a potentially dangerous dog who is found by clear and
convincing evidence to have violated this act, or any rule or regulation
adopted pursuant thereto, or to have failed to comply with a court's
order shall be subject to a fine or not more than $1,000 per day of
the violation, and each day's continuance of the violation shall
constitute a separate and distinct violation. The Municipal Court
shall have jurisdiction to enforce this section. An Animal Control
Officer is authorized to seize and impound any potentially dangerous
dog whose owner fails to comply with the provisions of this article,
or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant thereto, or a court's
order. The Municipal Court may order that the dog so seized and impounded
be destroyed in an expeditious and humane manner.
(2)
Fines, fees used for enforcement by municipalities. All fines and fees collected or received by the Borough pursuant to Subsection F(1) above and § 120-12 shall be deposited in a special account and used by the Borough to administer and enforce the provisions of this article as they relate to vicious or potentially dangerous dogs.
G.
Monthly inspection to verify compliance. The Animal Control Officer shall inspect the enclosure and the owner's property at least monthly to determine continuing compliance with § 120-22D.
H.
Appeal of decision. The owner of the dog, or the Animal Control Officer
in the municipality in which the dog was impounded, may appeal any
final decision, order, or judgement, including any conditions attached
thereto, of the Municipal Court by filing an appeal with the Superior
Court, Law Division, in accordance with the Rules Governing the Courts
of the State of New Jersey pertaining to appeals from courts of limited
jurisdiction. The Superior Court shall hear the appeal by conducting
a hearing de novo in the manner established by those rules for appeals
from courts of limited jurisdiction.
I.
Liability of owner for cost, of impounding, destroying dog; rabies
testing.
(1)
If a dog is declared vicious or potentially dangerous, and all appeals
pertaining thereto have been exhausted, the owner of the dog shall
be liable to the municipality for the costs and expenses of impounding
and destroying the dog. The owner shall incur the expense of impounding
the dog in a facility other than the municipal pound, regardless of
whether the dog is ultimately found to be vicious or potentially dangerous.
(2)
If the dog has bitten or exposed a person within 10 days previous
to the time of euthanasia, its head shall be transported to the New
Jersey State Department of Health Laboratory for rabies testing.
J.
Hearing on subsequent action of dog. If the Municipal Court finds
that the dog is not vicious or potentially dangerous, the Municipal
Court shall retain the right to convene a hearing to determine whether
the dog is vicious or potentially dangerous for any subsequent actions
of the dog.
No person owning or having control of a dog or cat which has
been determined to be vicious shall permit it to be outside the confines
of the home unless the yard or property is enclosed in such a fashion
that the dog or cat will not be able to run at large.
A.
The Animal Control Officer and members of the Police Department shall
take into custody and impound any of the following dogs or cats:
(1)
Any dog running at large in violation of the provisions of this article.
(2)
Any dog off the premises of the owner which the Animal Control Officer
or a police officer has reason to believe is a stray dog.
(3)
Any dog off the premises of the owner of the dog without a current
registration tag on its collar.
(4)
Any female dog in season off the premises of the owner.
B.
In addition to the provisions cited in Subsection A above, the Animal Control Officer shall seize and impound a dog when the Animal Control Officer has reasonable cause to believe that the dog:
(1)
Attacked a person and caused death or serious bodily injury as defined
in N.J.S.A. 2C:11-1b to that person;
(2)
Caused bodily injury as defined in N.J.S.A. 2C:11-1a to a person
during an unprovoked attack and poses a serious threat of harm to
persons or domestic animals;
(3)
Engaged in dog fighting activities as described in N.J.S.A. 4:22-24
and 4:22-26; or
(4)
Has been trained, tormented, badgered, baited or encouraged to engage
in unprovoked attacks upon persons or domestic animals.
C.
The dog shall be impounded until the final disposition as to whether
the dog is vicious or potentially dangerous. Subject to the approval
of the municipal health officer, the dog may be impounded in a facility
or other structure agreeable to the owner.
The Animal Control Officer or any police officer or, in their
absence and in case of an emergency which will not permit delay, any
person may kill any of the following animals:
A.
General notice. If any animal impounded or seized wears a registration
tag or a collar or harness having inscribed on it the name and address
of any person or the owner of the animal, the Animal Control Officer
shall immediately serve notice on the person whose address is given
on the collar or on the person owning the animal, stating that the
animal has been seized and may be disposed of or destroyed if not
claimed within seven days after the service of the notice. A notice
under this section may be served either by delivering it to the person
on whom it is to be served, or by leaving it at the person's
usual or last known place of abode or at the address given on the
collar, or by forwarding it by mail in a prepaid letter addressed
to that person at his usual or last known place of abode or to the
address given on the collar.
B.
Notice of impoundment; notice of hearing; return of statement by
owner; destruction of dog.
(1)
The Animal Control Officer shall notify the Municipal Court and the
Chief of Police immediately that he/she has seized and impounded a
dog, or that he has reasonable cause to believe that a dog has killed
another domestic animal and that a hearing is required. The Animal
Control Officer shall through a reasonable effort attempt to determine
the identity of the owner of any dog seized and impounded. If its
owner cannot be identified within seven days, that dog may be humanely
destroyed.
(2)
The Animal Control Officer shall, within three working days of the
determination of the identity of the owner of a dog seized and impounded,
notify by certified mail, return receipt requested, the owner concerning
the seizure and impoundment, and that, if the owner wishes, a hearing
will be held to determine whether the impounded dog is vicious or
potentially dangerous. This notice shall also require that the owner
return within seven days, by certified mail or hand delivery, a signed
statement indicating whether they wish the hearing to be conducted
or, if not, to relinquish ownership of the dog, in which case the
dog may be humanely destroyed. If the owner cannot be notified by
certified mail, return receipt requested, or refuses to sign for the
certified letter, or does not reply to the certified letter with a
signed statement within seven days of receipt, the dog may be humanely
destroyed.
Any impounded animal may be placed in a foster home, transferred
to another shelter, pound, kennel operating as a shelter or pound,
or animal rescue organization facility, or euthanized in a manner
causing as little pain as possible under any of the following contingencies:
A.
When any animal seized has not been claimed by any person within
seven days after notice or within seven days of the animal's
seizure when notice cannot be given, as set forth in the previous
section.
B.
If the person owning the animal seized has not paid all expenses
incurred by reason of its seizure, including a maintenance charge
not to exceed $4 per day.
C.
If the seized dog is unlicensed at the time of its seizure and the
person owning, keeping or harboring such dog has not procured a license
and registration tag as required by this article.
Any person whose animal shall be picked up by the Animal Control
Officer or a police officer shall be required to pay all expenses
incurred by the Borough by reason of its detention. In addition to
the expenses incurred by the Borough, the owner or person charged
with the care of the animal shall be required to pay the full maintenance
charge imposed by the holding facility for each full or partial day
held, not to exceed $4 per day or the limit set forth in N.J.S.A.
4:19-15.16. The expenses of impoundment shall be paid to the Clerk's
Office of the Borough of High Bridge, and a receipt shall be delivered
to the person paying such charges, which receipt shall be the authority.
When any dog or cat attacks or bites a human being, the Animal
Control Officer and/or Chief of Police or their representative may
order the owner of the dog or cat to confine it, either on the owner's
premises or any other reasonable location which the Animal Control
Officer or Chief of Police designates, for a period of at least 10
days. The expenses of confining the dog or cat shall be borne by the
owner.
The Animal Control Officer and/or Chief of Police or their representative shall have the right to examine any dog or cat confined under the provisions of § 120-29 at any reasonable time, including daily examinations, for a period of 10 days after the dog or cat has attacked or bitten any person to ascertain whether the animal shows symptoms of rabies.
Regardless of whether or not the period of time from which the owner was directed to confine the dog or cat has expired or not, no dog or cat confined under the provisions of § 120-29 shall be released form quarantine until the Animal Control Officer and/or Chief of Police issues a certificate of release. The certificate shall only be issued after either the person designated by the Animal Control Officer and/or Chief of Police or representative to examine the dog or cat or a licensed veterinarian has certified, in writing, that the animal appears to be healthy and free from rabies.
Whenever the Animal Control Officer and/or Chief of Police or
their representative is notified by the State Department of Health
or determines themselves that there is a danger of an epidemic of
rabies in the Borough of High Bridge, they shall order all persons
owning or having custody of dogs or cats in the Borough to keep their
dogs and cats confined to their own premises. Notice that an order
has been issued may be either written or oral and may be served personally,
by mail, by publication in a newspaper circulating in the Borough,
by conspicuously posting it in public places or by any other method
calculated to actually reach the persons affected.
The Chief of Police and the Animal Control Officer shall have
the primary duty of enforcing his article.
Any officer authorized or empowered to perform any duty under
this article may go upon any premises to seize for impounding any
dog or dogs which they may lawfully seize and impound when they are
in immediate pursuit of such a dog or dogs, except that they shall
not go upon the premises of the owner of the dog if the owner is present
and forbids it.
No person shall interfere with anyone authorized or empowered
to perform any duty under this article.
No person owning, harboring, keeping or in charge of any dog
shall cause, suffer or allow such dog to soil, defile, defecate on
or commit any nuisance on any common thoroughfare, sidewalk, passageway,
bypath, play area, park, school ground or any space where the public
congregates or walks or upon any public property or place whatsoever
or upon any private property without the permission of the owner of
said property. This restriction in this section shall not apply to
that portion of the street lying between the curblines, which shall
be used to curb such dog under the following conditions:
A.
The person who so curbs such dog shall immediately remove all feces
deposited by such dog by any sanitary method approved by the Department
of Health.
B.
The feces removed from the aforementioned designated area shall be
disposed of by the person owning, harboring, keeping or in charge
of any dog curbed in accordance with the provisions of this section
in a sanitary method approved by the Department of Health.
C.
The provisions of this section shall not apply to blind persons who
may use dogs as guides.
Any person, firm or corporation conducting, managing or operating
any dog kennel or pet shop engaged in the business of boarding or
housing dogs within the limits of the Borough of High Bridge shall
pay for the privilege of maintaining, conducting or operating such
kennel a license fee as established by N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.9, pursuant
to which the annual license fee for a kennel providing accommodations
for 10 or fewer dogs shall be $10, and for more than 10 dogs, $25.
The annual license fee for a pet shop shall be $10, unless N.J.S.A
4:19-15.9 is amended to provide for another amount or fee that shall
be charged for a shelter rescue organization or pound. This license
tax shall be in lieu of individual license taxes for such dogs.
Groomers shall annually be licensed and the fee is $50.
It shall be permissible for the Animal Control Officer to respond
to requests for their services when notified through the High Bridge
Police Department that a request has been received. The agency requesting
the assistance shall, at the conclusion of the assignment, be billed
by the Police Department for an administrative fee of $50, plus the
hourly rate of the Animal Control Officer, and shall include premium
pay charges for the request of services during nonstandard working
hours.
Any person violating any of the provisions of this article shall,
upon conviction thereof, be liable for a fine not to exceed $2,000
or imprisonment in the County Jail for a term not exceeding 90 days,
or both, unless otherwise specified below:
|
Code Section
|
Offense
|
Fine
|
Court Appearance
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
§ 120-9, License required
|
First offense in prior 12 months
|
$56 fine/$30 cost
|
No
|
|
Additional offenses within 12 months of preceding offense
|
Not to exceed $2,000
|
Yes
| |
|
§ 120-20C, Disturbing the peace (barking)
|
First offense in prior 12 months
|
$100 fine/$30 cost
|
No
|
|
Second offense in prior 12 months
|
$200 fine/$30 cost
|
No
| |
|
Third offense in prior 12 months
|
$300 fine/$30 cost
|
No
| |
|
§ 120-20D, Running at large
|
First offense in prior 12 months
|
$50 fine/$30 cost
|
No
|
|
Additional offenses within 12 months of preceding offense
|
Not to exceed $2,000
|
Yes
| |
|
§ 120-20E, Control required
|
First offense in prior 12 months
|
$50 fine/$30 cost
|
No
|
|
Additional offenses within 12 months of preceding offense
|
Not to exceed $2,000
|
Yes
| |
|
§ 120-20G, Curbing of Dogs
|
First offense in prior 12 months
|
$50 fine/$30 cost
|
No
|
|
Additional offenses within 12 months of preceding offense
|
Not to exceed $2,000
|
Yes
| |
|
§ 120-20H, Restrictions on leaving animals in vehicle
|
First offense in prior 12 months
|
Minimum $250, not to exceed $500
|
Yes
|
|
Additional offenses within 12 months of preceding offense
|
Not to exceed $2,000
|
Yes
| |
|
§ 120-20I, No unmonitored dog tethered to vacant structure
|
First offense in prior 12 months
|
$50 fine/$30 cost
|
No
|
|
Additional offenses within 12 months of preceding offense
|
Not to exceed $2,000
|
Yes
| |
|
§ 120-22, Vicious dog
|
Each offense
|
Not to exceed $2,000
|
Yes
|
|
§ 120-36, Owner responsible for curbing dogs
|
Additional offenses within 12 months of preceding offense
|
$50 fine/$30 cost
|
No
|
|
First offense in prior 12 months
|
Not to exceed $2,000
|
Yes
|
