[Adopted 8-13-1991 by Ord. No. 2110]
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ALTERED
Rendered permanently incapable of reproduction as certified by a licensed veterinarian.
ANIMAL
Dog or cat.
ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER
Any person or agency designated or certified by the State of New Jersey to enforce the provisions of this article.
CAT
Any member of the domestic feline species; male, female, or altered.
CAT OF LICENSING AGE
Any cat which has attained the age of six months or which possesses a set of permanent teeth.
LICENSING AUTHORITY
The agency or department of the Borough of Bergenfield or any designed representative thereof charged with administering the issuance and/or revocation of permits and licenses under the provisions of this article.
OWNER
When applied to the proprietorship of a cat shall include every person having a right of property (or custody) in such cat and every person who has such cat in his/her keeping, or who harbors or maintains a cat or knowingly permits a cat to remain on or about any premises occupied by that person.
PERSON
Any individual, corporation, partnership, organization, or institution commonly recognized by law as a unit.
A. 
Vaccination and license requirements. No person shall own, keep, harbor or maintain any cat over six months of age within the Borough of Bergenfield unless such cat is vaccinated and licensed. The provisions of this section do not apply to cats held in a veterinary establishment where cats are received or kept for diagnostic, medical, surgical or other treatments.
B. 
Vaccination. All cats shall be vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian of the State of New Jersey in accordance with the latest "Compendium of Animal Rabies Vaccines and Recommendations for Immunization" published by the National Association of the Public Health Veterinarians, except as provided for in Subsection D.
C. 
Vaccination certificate. A certificate of vaccination shall be issued to the owner of each animal vaccinated on a form recommended by the state.
D. 
Exemptions. Any cat may be exempted from the requirements of such vaccination for a specified period of time by the Bergenfield Board of Health, upon presentation of a veterinarian's certificate stating that because of an infirmity or other physical condition, or regimen of therapy, the vaccination of such cat shall be deemed inadvisable.
A. 
Cats must have license number displayed. Any person who shall own, keep, or harbor a cat of licensing age shall annually apply for and procure from the Borough Clerk, or other official designated by the governing body thereof, a license and official registration tag with license number or a registration sleeve for each cat so owned, kept or harbored. Acceptable methods of displaying the license number shall include, but are not limited to, an official license tag or sleeve securely affixed to a breakaway or elastic collar. License tags or sleeves are not transferable.
B. 
Time for applying for license. The owner of any newly acquired cat of licensing age, or of any cat which attains licensing age, shall make application for a license for such cat within 10 days after such acquisition or age attainment. The requirement will not apply to a nonresident keeping a cat within the Borough of Bergenfield for no longer than 90 days.
C. 
Cats brought into jurisdiction.
(1) 
Any person who shall bring, or cause to be brought into the Borough of Bergenfield, any cat licensed in another state for the current year, and displaying such license as required by this article, and shall keep the same or permit the same to be kept within the Borough of Bergenfield for a period of more than 90 days, shall immediately apply for a license for each such cat.
(2) 
Any person who shall bring or cause to be brought into the Borough of Bergenfield any unlicensed cat, and shall keep same or permit same to be kept within the Borough of Bergenfield for a period of more than 10 days, shall immediately apply for a license for each cat unless otherwise exempted under this article.
D. 
Application; contents; preservation of information. The application shall state the breed, sex, age, color, and markings of the cat for which license is sought, and whether it is of a long- or short-haired variety, the date on which such cat was vaccinated against rabies, also, the name, street, post office address and phone number of the owner, and the person who shall keep or harbor such cat. The information on said application and the registration number issued for the cat shall be preserve for a period of one year by the Borough Clerk or other designated official.
E. 
License forms and tags. License forms and official tags or sleeves shall be furnished by the Borough and shall be numbered serially, and shall bear the year of issuance and the name of the Borough.
F. 
Evidence of rabies vaccination or certification of exemption; requirement for license. The Borough Clerk or other official designated by the governing body to license cats shall not grant any such license for any cat, unless the owner thereof provides evidence that the cat to be licensed and registered has been vaccinated, or has been certified exempt as provided by § 95-12 of this article.
G. 
License fee schedule. A license shall be issued after payment of a fee as provided in the Borough's General Fee Ordinance. In the absence of such provision, the fee for the first cat licensed shall be $11 for a nonaltered cat, and $8 for an altered cat. For each additional cat licensed at the same time as the first cat, the fee shall be $5 for each additional altered cat and $8 for each additional nonaltered cat.
H. 
Fee for renewals; expiration date of license.
(1) 
License from another municipality shall be accepted. The fee for the renewal of a license shall be the same as for the original.
(2) 
Licenses shall expire on September 30 of each year. Any valid New Jersey license tag or sleeve issued by a New Jersey municipality shall be accepted by this Borough as evidence of compliance.
I. 
Loss of license. If a license tag or sleeve has been misplaced or lost, the Borough Clerk may issue a duplicate license and/or registration sleeve for that particular cat for a fee of $1.
J. 
Proof of licensing. Proof of licensing shall be produced by any person owning, keeping, maintaining, or harboring a cat, upon the request of any health official, police officer, or animal control officer.
K. 
Interfering with persons performing duties under this article. No person shall, hinder, molest, or interfere with anyone authorized and empowered to perform any duty under this article.
L. 
Disposition of fees collected. License fees and other money collected or receive under the provisions of this article, shall be forwarded to the Treasurer of the Borough and shall be used the the following purposes only: collecting, keeping and disposing of cats liable to seizure, for local prevention and control of rabies, providing anti-rabies treatment under the direction of the local Board of Health and for any person known or suspected to have been exposed to rabies, and for administering the provisions of this article. Any unexpected balance remaining in such special account shall be retained until the end of the third fiscal year following, and may be used for any of the purposes set forth in this section. At the end of the said third fiscal year following, and at the end of each fiscal year thereafter, there shall be transferred from such special account to the general funds of the municipality any amount then in such account which is in excess of the total amount paid into the special account during the last two fiscal years next preceding.
[Amended 10-15-1991 by Ord. No. 2120]
A. 
Any cat showing a change in disposition or illness suggesting it might have rabies or any cat that bites another animal or human may be required by the Health Officer, Animal Control Officer or designated agent to be quarantined for a period of 10 days.
B. 
Owners or those harboring cats evidencing a change in disposition or illness suggesting it may have rabies may be required to have such animal examined by an approved veterinarian.
C. 
Any cost incurred in quarantining such animal or veterinary service examination shall be paid for by the owner or harborer of such cat or cats.
D. 
If cat dies during quarantine, the Health Officer may order laboratory exam for rabies.
A. 
It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to keep, maintain or harbor at any one time in any business establishment or residential housing unit or on its grounds more than six cats. This restriction shall not apply to properly licensed pet shops, kennels, shelters and pounds.
B. 
Any person who desires to own more than six cats may obtain a special permit from the Borough Clerk. The special permit shall be for a term of one year, and no renewal shall be issued without a subsequent inspection. If for any reason an animal is lost, sold, given away or dies and there still remains in the residence or apartment six or more cats, there can be no replacement of the lost, sold, given or deceased animal. A special permit shall be issued if after an inspection it is determined by the Borough of Bergenfield Board of Health that:
(1) 
The animals in the owner's possession are not creating a nuisance;
(2) 
There is adequate waste disposal; and
(3) 
There is no hazard to public safety, health and welfare.
Except as otherwise provided in this article, any person who violates, or who fails or refuses to comply with this article, shall be liable to a penalty of no more than $50 for each offense, to be recovered by and in the name of the Bergenfield Board of Health, or by and in the name of the Borough.