[Adopted 5-14-1985 by Ord. No. 800]
For the purpose of this article, the following terms shall have the
following meanings respectively designated for each:
Any place designated by Town Council of the Borough of Morrisville
whether within or without the corporate limits of such Borough, for the detention
of dogs which are seized for the violation of the provisions of this article.
When applied to the proprietorship of a dog shall include every person
having a right of property in such dog and every person who keeps or harbors
such dog or has it in his care, and every person who permits such dog to run
on or about any premises occupied by him.
Any person employed or elected by this Commonwealth of the Borough
of Morrisville and whose duty is to preserve peace, to make arrests or to
enforce the law and shall further mean any regularly employed dog catcher
who has been sworn in by the Borough of Morrisville as a special police officer.
It shall be unlawful for any person to own or keep any dog six months
old or older unless such dog shall have been licensed by the Treasurer of
Bucks County in accordance with the provisions of the Dog Law of 1965; 3 P.S.
§ 460-201; and it shall be unlawful for such dog to be permitted
to go outside of the confines of the property of the owner unless such dog
shall wear a collar and license tag as further required by said Act.
The owner of any dog six months old or over shall register the same with the Police Department of the Borough of Morrisville, giving the name and address of the owner, a description of the dog and the license number of the license procured from the County Treasurer as set forth in § 118-6.
It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog to permit or allow such
dog to run at large on any of the public streets or highways in the Borough
or upon the property of any person other than the owner of such dog, and unaccompanied
by such owner.
It shall be unlawful for the owner or keeper of any female dog to permit
such female dog to go beyond the premises of such owner or keeper at any time
she is in heat unless such female dog is properly on leash.
Upon receiving a complaint or information that a dog is running at large
in the Borough, the Chief of Police of the Borough shall cause an investigation
to be made, and if the complaint is found to be true and correct, a notice
in writing shall be served upon the owner of the dog by a police officer notifying
said owner that his or her dog must be properly controlled and kept from running
at large.
The Chief of Police shall keep a record of all notices so served as
set forth in § 118-106 of this article, and upon receiving a second
complaint or information against the same owner, if upon investigation the
said second complaint or information is found to be true and correct, the
Chief of Police shall prosecute the said owner under the terms of this article.
A.
It shall be the duty of every police officer to seize
and detain any dog found running at large in violation of the provisions of
this article; to cause such dog to be properly kept at the Borough Pound,
and to cause immediate notice to be given to the owner or his agent to claim
such dog.
B.
Any police officer is hereby authorized and empowered
to go upon any premises and enter any building in order to seize or detain
any dog or dogs which shall have been found running at large unaccompanied
by the owner thereof when such police officer is in immediate pursuit of such
dog or dogs.
C.
For the purpose of this article, notice as aforesaid,
of the seizure and detention of any dog, left with any adult at the residence
of the owner, custodian or keeper of such dog, shall be good and valid notice.
Any licensed dog seized and detained under this article may be released
to the owner, custodian or keeper upon payment of the costs of seizure and
detention, provided such owner, custodian or keeper claims the dog and pays
such costs within 10 days after notice of such seizure has been given. If
any such dog is not claimed and redeemed within such period, it may be sold
or destroyed in some humane manner.
Any unlicensed dog seized and detained under this article may be released
to the owner, custodian or keeper upon payment of the costs of seizure and
detention, provided such owner, custodian or keeper claims the dog and pays
such costs within 48 hours after notice of such seizure has been given. If
any such dog is not claimed and redeemed within such forty-eight-hour period,
it may be sold or destroyed in some humane manner.
The owner of any dog detained under the authority of this article or
applicable State law shall pay all reasonable expenses involved by reason
of the detention of such dog before the dog is returned. Such charges therefor
shall be affixed by Town Council by motion from time to time in an amount
sufficient to reimburse the Borough for the costs of such detention.
All moneys paid for the detention of dogs or for the sale of dogs shall
be paid to the police officer in charge of such Pound for the use and benefit
of the general Borough Treasury. Such police officer in charge of such Pound
shall keep an accurate record of all funds which are received by him pursuant
to the provisions of this article and shall transmit the same together with
his report monthly to the chairman of the Police Committee of Town Council.
Provided, however, that nothing in this section shall be construed to apply
to fines for the violation of this article.
Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any provision of this
article shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to pay a fine of not
more than $300, together with costs of prosecution, or to imprisonment for
a term not to exceed 30 days.
