[Adopted 3-12-1990 by Ord. No. 90-4]
It shall be unlawful for the owner or custodian of any cat or dog to keep, harbor or have in his custody or control any cat or dog 12 weeks of age or older for longer that seven days, unless such cat or dog has been vaccinated with a rabies vaccine approved by the State of New Jersey Department of Health and the vaccination is not beyond the expiration for such vaccination. After the initial vaccination, each cat or dog shall be periodically vaccinated, once each year, so as to ensure that the cat or dog has, at all times, an effective vaccination approved by the State of New Jersey Department of Health.
Rabies inoculation receipts, issued by a veterinarian at the time of vaccination, shall be carefully preserved by the owner or custodian of a cat or dog and exhibited promptly upon request for inspection by any animal warden or other law enforcement officer.
Rabies inoculation tags, issued by a veterinarian at the time of vaccination, shall be affixed to a collar which shall be worn by the dog or cat at all times.
Any dog or cat found wandering off the premises of the owner may be impounded and disposed of by any police officer or animal control officer of the Borough of Beach Haven in the same manner as set forth in § 51-13 of this chapter.
Any dog or cat found at large in the Borough of Beach Haven exhibiting the signs and symptoms of a rabid animal may be humanely destroyed by the animal control officer or any police officer of the Borough of Beach Haven. Any animal so destroyed shall have its head removed and immediately forwarded to the state laboratory in Trenton for a determination as to the animal's infection with rabies.
Before issuing a citation for violation of this article, any police officer of the Borough of Beach Haven or the animal control officer of the Borough of Beach Haven may give an oral warning or issue a written warning ticket. If the person or persons receiving the oral warning or the warning ticket do not discontinue the violation, a citation for ordinance violation shall be issued to the violator. If it appears necessary to make an arrest to preserve the public peace or safety, a police officer may make an arrest for violation of this article with or without a previous oral warning ticket.
Each and every instance of a violation of any of the terms of this article, and each and every day a cat or dog shall remain unvaccinated or shall fail to display a vaccination tag, shall be deemed a separate violation and shall be punishable as a separate and distinct violation.
Any person, firm or corporation violating any provision of this article shall be fined in accordance with the provisions of § 1-16 of this Code.