As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ANIMAL
Dog or cat.
ANIMAL CENSUS COORDINATOR
The municipal official designated by the Township Committee to conduct a census of cats and dogs owned and harbored within the municipality.
ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER/AUTHORITY
Any person or agency certified by the State of New Jersey to enforce the provisions of this article, and appointed by the Township Committee.
ANIMAL LICENSING OFFICIAL
The agency, department or municipal official of Bethlehem Township designated by the Township Committee and charged with administering the issuance and/or revocation of permits and licenses under the provisions of this article.
CAT
Any member of the domestic feline species: male, female, or altered.
DOG
Any member of the domestic canine species; male, female, or altered.
HARBOR
Intentionally giving food, shelter or refuge to an animal.
KENNEL
Any establishment, wherein or whereon the business of boarding or selling dogs or breeding of dogs for sale is carried on, except a pet shop or shelter.
LICENSING AGE
Any dog or cat that shall have attained the age of seven months or which possesses a set of permanent teeth.
MUNICIPAL OFFICIAL
Any present officer, employee, board or committee member hired by the Township Committee of the Township, whether full- or part-time. The term shall also include any person elected by the voters of the Township to fill any official position in the Township, or any person subsequently appointed to fill such position.
OWNER
When applied to the proprietorship of a dog or cat, includes every person having the right of property in such dog or cat, and any person who has had any dog or cat in his keeping for a period of seven days.
PERSON
Any individual, corporation, partnership, organization, or institution commonly recognized by the law as a unit.
SPAYED/NEUTERED
Rendered permanently incapable of reproduction as certified by a licensed veterinarian.
STRAY
Any dog or cat running at large and not under the control and supervision of its owner or a person authorized by its owner.
A. 
The owner of any animal of licensing age shall apply for and procure from the authorized animal licensing official of the Township of Bethlehem a license and official metal registration tag for each such animal so owned.
(1) 
License forms and official tags shall be furnished by the municipality, shall be numbered serially and shall bear the year of issuance and name of the municipality.
(a) 
The owner of any dog shall place upon each dog so owned and a collar or harness with the registration tag securely fastened thereto.
(b) 
The owner of any cat shall keep the metal tag and be able to produce said tag immediately upon the request of a municipal official.
B. 
All animals shall be vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian in accordance with the latest Compendium of Animal Rabies Vaccines and Recommendations for Immunization, published by the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians.
(1) 
No license shall be issued by the animal licensing official for any animal which has not received an inoculation valid through the 31st of October of the licensing year.
(2) 
Exemptions for inoculation requirements shall be granted for animals when a veterinarian certificate is presented stating that because of an infirmity or other physical condition of regimen of therapy, the inoculation of such animal shall be deemed inadvisable.
C. 
A license from other New Jersey municipalities shall be accepted as evidence of compliance with the licensing provisions of this article.
D. 
No minor shall be issued a license for an animal.
E. 
Dogs used for blind persons, dogs used to assist handicapped persons, or dogs used to assist deaf persons shall be licensed in the manner prescribed in this article but shall not be required to pay any fee associated with said license.
F. 
The provisions of this article do not apply to any animal held by a state or federal licensed research facility, veterinary facilities where animals are held for diagnostic, medical, surgical, or other treatments or licensed animal shelters, pounds or pet shops.
A. 
All persons shall procure a license for animals so owned or harbored by the 31st day of January each year. Said licenses shall expire the 31st day of December.
(1) 
Animals must be licensed with the animal licensing official within 10 days after such animal is acquisitioned or within 10 days of such animal's attainment of licensing age.
(2) 
Persons moving into the Township shall, within 30 days of taking residence, procure a license from the animal licensing official or shall produce evidence of licensing in another municipality to the animal licensing official.
B. 
Persons found or known to be in noncompliance with the licensing provisions of this Part 1 after the 30th day of September shall be issued a summons by the Township of Bethlehem mandating a municipal court appearance. No license shall be issued after said date to persons with pending summonses until all obligations with the court are fulfilled or unless the municipal prosecutor, at his or her sole discretion, authorizes said noncompliant person(s) to pay all outstanding monies due and owing to the Township prior to said court appearance.
[Amended 3-19-2009 by Ord. No. 251.4.2009]
[Amended 9-5-2024 by Ord. No. 496.2024]
A. 
Any person applying for an animal license shall pay to the authorized animal licensing official of the Township of Bethlehem the sum of $12 for a neutered or spayed animal and $15 for a nonneutered or nonspayed animal.
B. 
Loss of tag or license. If a tag or license has been misplaced or lost, the animal licensing official may issue a duplicate tag or license for that particular animal at a fee of $1.
C. 
Animal licenses not procured by the 31st day of January of each year shall be surcharged. Persons applying for said license after the 31st of January shall be surcharged $8 per month per license as a late fee beginning in February 1 and ending after the 31st of August.
D. 
Any person applying for a license in the month of September, October, November, or December shall be assessed a flat late fee of $20 in addition to previously accrued late fees owed due to the Township.
E. 
Any owner or person found harboring an animal found by the Township animal census coordinator to have an unlicensed animal shall be required to pay an additional delinquent discovery fee of $50 per animal, plus the required license fee and applicable late fees as provided in this article for licensing, together with any other fines due to summonses issues that may be imposed on them, as provided in this article.
F. 
Any summons issued under the provision of § 158-3B shall carry a fine of $25, up to $500, a court cost of $33 and any restitution in the form of issuance fee, applicable late surcharges and delinquent discovery fees as reported by the animal licensing official to the municipal court.
[Amended 3-19-2009 by Ord. No. 251.4.2009]
G. 
All monies received by the animal licensing official shall be deposited by the animal licensing official in a special account, separate from any of the other accounts of the municipality, within 48 hours of collection or receipt of said monies. Monies in said account shall be used for the following purposes only: for collecting, keeping and disposing of animals liable to seizure under the provisions of this article; for local prevention and control of rabies; and for providing treatment for rabies under the direction of the Board of Health of the Township of Bethlehem for any persons known or suspected to have been exposed to rabies. Any unexpended surplus remaining in any such account shall be retained therein until the third fiscal year following and may be used for any purposes set forth in this subsection. At the end of 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 Township of Bethlehem any amount then in such account which is in excess of the total amount paid into special account during the last two fiscal years next preceding.
A. 
Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.5, the application for a dog license shall state name, breed, sex, age, color, and markings of the dog for which the license is sought, whether it is of a long-, medium- or short-haired variety, whether it has been surgically debarked or silenced and a microchip identification number, if applicable. The application shall also require the name, street, telephone number and post office address of the owner to be recorded.
B. 
The application for a cat license shall state name, breed, sex, age, color, and markings of the cat for which the license is sought, whether it is of a long-, medium- or short-haired variety, and a microchip identification number, if applicable. The application shall also the name, street, telephone number and post office address of the owner to be recorded.
A. 
At the reorganization meeting of the Township Committee of each year, the Committee shall appoint an animal control officer for the Township of Bethlehem. Such animal control officer shall receive only such remuneration as is hereinafter provided.
B. 
The duties of the animal control officer shall be as follows:
(1) 
To take into custody and impound and thereafter euthanize or dispose of as hereinafter provided:
(a) 
Any animal off the premises of the owner or the person keeping or harboring said animal for the owner, which animal the animal control officer shall have reason to believe is a stray animal, whether or not said animal is licensed or carries a registration tag.
(b) 
Any animal off the premises of the owner or the person keeping or harboring said animal for the owner without a current license and registration tag.
(c) 
Any animal which has alleged to have bitten or scratched any person may be impounded for the purposes of observation as to rabies.
(d) 
Any female dog in season off the premises of the owner or of the person harboring or keeping said dog for the owner.
(e) 
Any animal off the premises of the owner reported to, or observed by, a certified animal control officer to be ill, injured or creating a threat to public health, safety or welfare, or otherwise interfering with the enjoyment of property.
(2) 
The animal control officer shall be compensated by the Township for his/her services upon terms and conditions set forth by the Township Committee.
A. 
It shall be unlawful for any person owning, keeping, harboring or having the custody and possession of any animal to allow said animal to run at large off the premises of the premises of said person within the Township of Bethlehem unless said animal is under the immediate control and supervision of the owner at any time.
B. 
It shall be unlawful for any person owning, keeping, harboring or having the custody and possession of any female dog in season to be or remain off the premises of said person at any time.
A. 
The animal control officer, upon impounding any animal, if the owner thereof shall be known, shall forthwith serve on the owner of said animal a notice in writing stating that the animal has been seized and may be disposed of or euthanized if not claimed within seven days after the service of said notice.
(1) 
A notice under this section may be served either by delivering it to said person or owner or by leaving it at the person's usual place of residence or by forwarding it by post in a prepaid letter addressed to the owner at his usual or last known place of residence.
(2) 
When any animal so seized has been detained for seven days after notice, when notice can be given as set forth above, or has been detained for seven days after seizure, when no notice has been given if the owner if not known, and if the owner has not claimed said animal and paid all expenses incurred by reason of its detention, including maintenance at the rate of $15 per day plus any kennel fees and/or veterinarian fees there may be over and above the fifteen-dollar-per day fee, and if the animal is unlicensed at the time of seizure and the owner has not produced a license for said animal, the animal control officer may cause the animal to be euthanized.
The animal control officer is hereby authorized to go upon any premises to seize for impounding any animal which he may lawfully impound when said animal control officer is in immediate pursuit of such animal except upon the premises of the owner of the animal, if said owner is present and forbids the same.
A. 
All persons seeking to establish a kennel in the Township of Bethlehem must procure a license from the animal licensing official annually. All kennel licenses shall expire on the 31st day of May each year.
B. 
No person shall be permitted to establish a kennel on property so owned by said person unless the property is at least seven acres in size.
C. 
All persons seeking a license for a kennel shall apply to the Board of Health of the Township of Bethlehem for said license and must demonstrate with supporting evidence that the applicant is in compliance with standards set forth by the State of New Jersey and the Department of Health and Senior Services as established in N.J.A.C. 8:23A-1.1 through N.J.A.C. 8:23A-1.13, as may be amended or supplemented, and any other applicable state-issued guidelines for the sanitary operation of kennels, pet shops, shelters and pounds and shall be subject to inspections by the Board of Health to ensure compliance thereafter.
D. 
Upon receipt of an application's approval from the Board of Health, the applicant may then procure a kennel license from the animal licensing official.
(1) 
The fees for a kennel license shall be as follows:
(a) 
Ten dogs or fewer: $10.
(b) 
More than 10 dogs: $25.
E. 
All dogs of licensing age permanently harbored at a licensed kennel shall be licensed pursuant to the licensing provisions established in this article.
A. 
The Township Committee shall appoint an animal census coordinator to conduct to a census of dogs in the Township either annually or biannually, at the direction of the governing body, in accordance with N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.15.
B. 
Said animal census coordinator appointed to conduct the canvass of dogs within the municipality shall also take a census of cats owned or harbored within the municipality.
C. 
Said animal census coordinator shall be compensated by the Township for his/her services upon terms and conditions and at the rate set forth from time to time by the Township Committee.
No person shall hinder, molest, or interfere with anyone authorized or empowered to perform any duty under this article. Any person found to be in violation of this provision shall be subject to a fine no less than $25 nor more than $50.
A. 
Except as otherwise provided in this Part 1, any person who violates or who fails or refuses to comply with this Part 1 shall be liable to penalty of not more than $50 for each offense.
B. 
The animal control officer, animal census coordinator, the animal licensing official or any person authorized by the Board of Health of the Township of Bethlehem shall have the power to sign a complaint in the municipal court against any person alleged to have violated any of the provisions of this Part 1, and any monies collected by the municipal court shall be applied and disbursed pursuant to New Jersey statue.