[Adopted 4-22-1980 by Ord. No. 5-80 (Ch.
65, Art. I, of the 1974 Code)]
[Amended 9-1-1992 by Ord. No. 14-92]
As used in this article, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
Any cat, male or female, spayed or neutered.
Any cat which has attained the age of seven months or which
possesses a set of permanent teeth.
Any dog, bitch or spayed bitch.
Any dog which has attained the age of seven months or which
possesses a set of permanent teeth.
When applied to the proprietorship of a dog and/or cat, shall
include every person having a right of property in such dog and/or
cat and every person who has such dog and/or cat in his keeping.
An establishment for the confinement of dogs and/or cats
seized either under the provisions of this article or otherwise.
Any establishment where dogs and/or cats are received, housed
and distributed.
To restrain an animal by tying it to any stationary object
or structure, including but not limited to a house, tree, fence, post,
garage or shed, by any means, including but not limited to a chain,
rope, cord, leash or pulley/running line, but shall not include the
use of a leash when walking an animal.
[Added 5-12-2015 by Ord.
No. 13-2015]
[Amended 9-1-1992 by Ord. No. 14-92]
Any person who shall own, keep or harbor a dog
and/or cat of licensing age within the City of Northfield shall annually,
in the month of January, apply for and procure a license and official
registration tag for each such dog and/or cat so owned, kept or harbored
and shall place upon each such dog and/or cat a collar or harness
with the registration tag securely fastened thereto. All such licenses,
registration tags and renewals thereof shall expire on January 31
of each year.
A.
The owner of any newly acquired dog of licensing age
or of any dog which attains licensing age shall make application for
a license and registration tag for such dog within 10 days after such
acquisition or age attainment.
B.
All existing licenses, registration tags and renewals thereof expire on January 31 in each year, and the owner of any dog of licensing age, other than as is provided for in Subsection A of this section, shall make application for and secure a license, registration tag or renewal during the month of January of each year.
C.
Any dog of licensing age found within the municipality
on or after February 1 of each year without license and registration
tags shall be deemed to be in violation of this article.
D.
Only one license and registration tag shall be required
in any licensing year for any dog owned in New Jersey, and such license
and tag shall be accepted by all municipalities as evidence of compliance
with this section.
E.
Dogs brought into state.
(1)
Any person who shall bring or cause to be brought
into this state any dog licensed in another state for the current
year and bearing a registration tag and who shall keep the same or
permit the same to be kept within the state for a period of more than
90 days shall immediately apply for a license and registration tag
for each such dog.
Applications shall be filed with the municipality
which shall contain the information required by the state of New Jersey
as provided for in N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.5.
Licensing and license fees for kennels, pet
shops, shelters or pounds shall be as provided by N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.8,
4:19-15.9 and 4:19-15.10.
[Amended 9-1-1992 by Ord. No. 14-92; 9-7-1999 by Ord. No. 13-99; 4-20-2004 by Ord. No. 6-2004; 2-22-2022 by Ord. No. 3-2022]
Annual fee. The annual fee for a dog and/or cat license and
each annual renewal thereof shall be in the sum of $7, consisting
of a New Jersey State pilot clinic fee of $0.20, a New Jersey State
registration fee of $1, and a City of Northfield license fee of $5.80.
In addition to the annual fee, there shall be a fee of $3 for any
dog which has not had its reproductive capacity permanently altered
through sterilization. This additional fee of $3 is required by N.J.S.A.
4:19-15.3b.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: The fee required by N.J.S.A.
4:19-15.3b only applies to dogs.
[Amended 9-1-1992 by Ord. No. 14-92; 7-18-2023 by Ord. No. 9-2023]
A.
No person owning, leasing, keeping, harboring or having
custody of any dog and/or cat shall suffer or permit said dog and/or
cat to run at large in the City of Northfield at any time. For the
purposes of this article and chapter, the phrase "run at large" shall
be defined to mean any dog or cat who is on property other than that
of its owner or custodian and who, further, is not on a leash or restraint
having a length of six feet or less.
B.
Public nuisances.
(1)
It shall be unlawful to own, harbor, keep or maintain
a dog and/or a cat within the City unless the owner thereof or the
person or persons harboring or maintaining the same shall exercise
sufficient and proper control and care over such animal at all times
so as to prevent the animal from becoming a public nuisance or otherwise
violating this chapter.
(2)
Within the meaning of this section, a dog and/or cat
shall be considered a public nuisance if it has no known owner or
custodian or if it has no known place of care or shelter, or if it
trespasses upon or damages either public or private property, or annoys,
bites, scratches or continually cries, barks or emits other sounds
so as to disturb the peace and quiet.
(3)
It shall also be a public nuisance for the owner of
any dog and/or cat to allow the habitual or continual emission of
obnoxious or unpleasant odors on other than the property of the owner
or custodian of such animal, provided that such odors would be offensive
to a person of reasonable and ordinary sensitivity. This shall be
deemed to include odors emitting from any dwelling, structure or area
housing such animals.
[Amended 9-1-1992 by Ord. No. 14-92]
A.
No license and official metal registration tag for
any dog and/or cat shall be granted unless and until the owner thereof
provides evidence that the dog and/or cat to be licensed and registered
has been inoculated with a rabies vaccine of a type approved by and
administered in accordance with the recommendations of the United
States Department of Agriculture and the United States Department
of Health and Human Services or has been certified exempt as provided
by regulations of the State Department of Health and Senior Services.
Such vaccination shall be repeated at intervals provided by regulations
of the State Department of Health and Senior Services, shall be administered
by a duly licensed veterinarian or by such other veterinarian permitted
by law to do the same.[1]
B.
No registration shall be issued to any dog and/or
cat whose owner or custodian fails to produce proof of the rabies
vaccination; except that any dog and/or cat may be exempted from the
requirement of such rabies vaccination for a period of time specified
in a veterinarian's certificate stating that the inoculation of such
dog and/or cat shall be deemed inadvisable at that time because of
infirmity, other physical conditions, or program of therapy. Upon
determination of said period of time, the owner or custodian of the
dog and/or cat shall return to the Municipal Clerk and show written
proof that the dog and/or cat has a current and effective rabies vaccination,
and the failure to do so shall constitute a violation of this chapter.
[Amended 9-1-1992 by Ord. No. 14-92]
A.
Any person appointed for the purpose by the governing
body of the municipality shall take into custody and impound or cause
to be taken into custody and impounded and thereafter destroyed or
disposed of as provided in this section:
(1)
Any dog and/or cat off the premises of the owner or
of the person keeping or harboring said dog and/or cat which said
official or his agent or agents have reason to believe is a stray
dog and/or cat.
(2)
Any dog and/or cat off the premises of the owner or
of the person keeping or harboring said dog and/or cat without a current
registration tag on its collar.
(3)
Any female dog and/or cat in season off the premises
of the owner or of the person keeping or harboring said dog and/or
cat.
B.
If any dog and/or cat so seized wears a collar or
harness having inscribed thereon or attached the name and address
of any person or registration tag, or the owner or the person keeping
or harboring said dog and/or cat is known, any person authorized by
the governing body shall forthwith serve on the person whose address
is given on the collar or on the owner or the person keeping or harboring
said dog and/or cat, if known, a notice in writing stating that the
dog and/or cat has been seized and will be liable to be disposed of
or destroyed if not claimed within seven days after service of the
notice.
C.
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 post 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.
D.
When any dog and/or cat so seized has been detained
for seven days after notice, when notice can be given as above set
forth, or has been detained for seven days after seizure when no notice
has been given as above set forth, and if the owner or person keeping
or harboring said dog and/or cat has not claimed said dog and/or cat
and paid all expenses incurred by reason of its detention, including
maintenance not exceeding $4 per day, and if the dog and/or cat is
unlicensed at the time of the seizure and the owner or person keeping
or harboring said dog and/or cat has not produced a license and registration
tag for said dog and/or cat, any person authorized by the governing
body may cause the dog and/or cat to be destroyed in a manner causing
as little pain as possible and consistent with the provisions of N.J.S.A.
4:22-19 and as provided for by N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.16.
E.
No dog and/or cat or other animal so caught and detained
or procured, obtained, sent or brought to a pound or shelter shall
be sold or otherwise made available for purposes of experimentation.
Any person who sells or otherwise makes available any such dog and/or
cat or other animal for the purpose of experimentation shall be guilty
of a disorderly persons offense.
[Amended 9-1-1992 by Ord. No. 14-92]
Any officer or agent authorized or empowered
to perform any duty under this article, inclusive of any officer or
agent of an interlocal body, is hereby authorized to go upon any premises
to seize for impounding any dog and/or cat or dogs and/or cats which
he may lawfully seize and impound when such officer is in immediate
pursuit of such dog and/or cat or dogs and/or cats, except upon the
premises of the owner of the dog and/or cat if said owner is present
and forbids the same.
No person shall hinder, molest or interfere
with anyone authorized or empowered to perform any duty under this
article.
Penalty for refusal to pay judgment and confinement
in jail shall be as provided by state statute N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.23,
adopted and incorporated herein by reference.
All other provisions of N.J.S.A. 4:19-1 through
4:19-9 and N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.1 through 4:19-15.23 are hereby adopted
by the City of Northfield as part of this article.
