[Adopted  11-6-1974 by Ord. No. 992 as Ch. 7 of the 1967 Code]
[1]
Editor's Note: This article was formerly entitled Art. II, Domestic Animals, but was redesignated as Art. II, Subpart A, Dogs, 5-13-2013 by Ord. No. 2226, and, in accordance with the numbering conventions of the Code, was subsequently redesignated as Art. II, Domestic Animals: Dogs, 9-9-2013 by Ord. No. 2233.
A. 
Definitions. The words hereafter defined shall have the meanings herein indicated for the purposes of this article, as follows:
ANIMAL HOSPITAL
Any place where dogs, cats or other domestic animals belonging to anyone other than the owner, tenant or occupant of such place are for hire, kept, maintained or harbored for observation or treatment.
BOROUGH
The Borough of Ridgefield in the County of Bergen.
CAT
Any cat, male or female, or spayed female.
DOG
Any dog, bitch or spayed bitch.
DOG OF LICENSING AGE
Any dog which has attained the age of seven months or which possesses a set of permanent teeth.
GOVERNING BODY
The Mayor and Council of the Borough of Ridgefield.
KENNEL
Any establishment or premises whereupon or wherein four or more dogs and cats are kept, maintained or harbored or whereupon or wherein the business of boarding, selling or breeding dogs is carried on, except a pet shop.
OWNER
When applied to the proprietorship of a dog or cat, shall mean and include every person having a right of property in such dog or cat and every person who has such dog or cat in his keeping.
PERSON
An individual, firm, partnership, corporation or association of persons.
PET
A domesticated animal (other than a disability assistance animal) kept for amusement or companionship.
[Added 6-12-2006 by Ord. No. 1992]
PET SHOP
Any room or group of rooms, cage or exhibition pen, not part of a kennel, wherein all animals, birds, fish and reptiles are kept or displayed.
POUND
An establishment for the confinement of dogs or cats seized, either under the provisions of this Article or otherwise.
SHELTER
An establishment where dogs and cats are received, housed and distributed without charge.
B. 
Word usage.
(1) 
The words "and" and "or" may be used interchangeably, and either of the two may be applicable, whichever is more conducive towards the effectuating of this article.
(2) 
Personal pronouns shall mean either the singular or the plural, whichever is applicable and conducive toward the effectuating of this article.
(3) 
The masculine, feminine or the neuter gender shall be implied, whichever is appropriate and conducive for the effectuating of this article.
No person shall keep or harbor any dog within the Borough without first obtaining a license therefor to be issued by the Board of Health upon application by the owner and payment of the prescribed fee. No person shall keep or harbor any dog or cat in said Borough except in compliance with the provisions of this article.
Any person who shall own, keep or harbor a dog of licensing age shall, in the month of January 1972 and annually thereafter, apply for and procure from the Board of Health a license and official metal registration tag for each such dog so owned, kept or harbored and shall place upon each such dog a collar or harness with the registration tag securely fastened thereto. Duplicate tags shall be issued upon satisfactory proof of the loss of the original tag, free of charge. Said license is not transferable.
[Amended  1-18-1982 by Ord. No. 1210; 12-8-1997 by Ord. No. 1609;  8-28-2000 by Ord. No. 1706; 12-9-2002 by Ord. No. 1796; 3-23-2009 by Ord. No. 2085]
A. 
The person applying for the dog license shall pay a fee of either:
(1) 
Twelve dollars per year for any sterilized dog over the age of six months, which proof of sterilization must be presented at the time of application; or
(2) 
Fifteen dollars per year for any nonsterilized dog over the age of six months.
B. 
In addition, three-year licenses shall be available at a cost of:
(1) 
Thirty-four dollars covering a three-year period for any sterilized dog over the age of six months, which proof of sterilization must be presented at time of application; or
(2) 
Forty-three dollars for any nonsterilized dog over the age of six months.
C. 
Except for the three-year licenses, which shall be renewed every three years, each license shall be renewed annually. Proof of rabies immunization must be presented at the time of license or renewal application. Said licenses, and renewals thereof, shall expire on the 30th day of June in each year. There shall be added to any license fee paid after July 31 of each year a late charge of $20.
The owner of any newly acquired dog of licensing age or of any dog which attains licensing age shall make application for license and registration tag for such dog within 30 days after such acquisition or age attainment.
The application shall state the breed, sex, age, color and markings of the dog for which license and registration are sought and whether it is of a long- or short-haired variety; also the name, street and post office address of the owner and the person who shall keep or harbor such dog.
A. 
Any person who shall bring or cause to be brought into the Borough any dog licensed in another state, county or municipality for the current year and bearing a registration tag and shall keep the same or permit the same to be kept within the Borough for a period of more than 90 days shall immediately apply for a license and registration tag for each such dog, unless such dog shall be licensed under § 131-13 of this Article.
B. 
Any person who shall bring or cause to be brought into the Borough any unlicensed dog and shall keep the same or permit the same to be kept within the Borough for a period of more than 30 days shall immediately apply for a license and registration tag for each such dog, unless such dog shall be licensed under § 131-13 of this Article.
No person, except an officer in the performance of his duties, shall remove a registration tag from the collar of any dog without the consent of the owner, nor shall any person attach a registration tag to a dog for which it was not issued.
A. 
License required. Any person who keeps or operates or proposes to establish a kennel, an animal hospital, a pet shop, a shelter or a pound shall apply to the Board of Health or other person designated by the governing body to license dogs for a license entitling him to keep or operate such establishment.
B. 
Application. The application shall describe the premises where the establishment is located or is proposed to be located and the purpose or purposes for which it is to be maintained and shall be accompanied by a written approval of the Health Officer of the Board of Health of the Borough showing compliance with the local and state rules and regulations governing location of and sanitation at such establishments.
C. 
Licenses.
(1) 
All licenses issued for a kennel, animal hospital, pet shop, shelter or pound shall state the purpose for which the establishment is maintained, and all such licenses shall expire on the last day of January of each year and be subject to revocation by the governing body on recommendations of the State Department of Health or the Board of Health of the Borough for failure to comply with the rules and regulations of the State Department or the Board of Health of the Borough governing the same after the owner has been afforded a hearing by either the State Department or the Board of Health of the Borough.
(2) 
Any person holding such license shall not be required to secure individual licenses for dogs or cats owned by such licensee and kept at such establishments; such licenses shall not be transferable to another owner or different premises.
D. 
Rules and regulations.
(1) 
Every such kennel, animal hospital, pet shop, shelter or pound shall be subject to such reasonable rules and regulations in regard thereto as may be prescribed by the governing body.
(2) 
Any premises so used and all buildings and enclosures thereon shall be kept clean and sanitary.
(3) 
All animal carcasses shall be immediately disposed of in a safe and sanitary manner by either burial at least two feet below the surface or by incineration.
(4) 
The Health Officer or any police officer of the Borough shall have the right, at any reasonable hour in the day or night, to enter into said premises and make any examination thereof as he shall deem proper.
E. 
Operation prohibited in certain districts. No such kennel, animal hospital, pet shop, shelter or pound shall be operated or maintained in a residential or apartment district as defined by the Zoning Ordinance of the Borough of Ridgefield.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 390, Part 1.
The annual license fee for a kennel providing accommodations for dogs, cats, or both, shall be $25. No fee shall be charged for a shelter or pound.
No dog kept in a kennel, animal hospital, pet shop, shelter or pound shall be permitted off such premises, except on a leash or in a crate or other safe control.
License fees and other moneys collected or received under the provisions of this Article shall be received and disposed of as provided in N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.11, as supplemented and amended.
The governing body shall have power to appoint annually a Dog Warden, whose duty it shall be to enforce the provisions of this Article and the provisions of Chapter 151 of the Laws of New Jersey for 1941, and any supplements and amendments thereto.[1] Nothing contained herein shall be construed as being a limitation or restriction of the power or authority of other law enforcement officials to enforce this Article.
[1]
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.1 et seq.
The Dog Warden, or other person designated by the governing body, shall take into custody and impound, or cause to be taken into custody and impounded and held for seven days, during which time every reasonable effort shall be made to locate the owner, any dog or cat off the premises of the owner or of the person keeping or harboring said dog or cat which said official or his agent or agents have reason to believe is a stray dog or cat and any dog off the premises of the owner or of the person keeping or harboring said dog without a current registration tag on his collar. The owner shall pay all costs incurred to take and keep said dogs and cats. Dogs so taken into custody shall be impounded, destroyed or disposed of as provided in N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.16, as supplemented and amended. Cats so taken into custody shall be impounded, destroyed or disposed of in the same manner as is herein provided for the impounding, destruction or disposal of dogs.
Any officer or agent authorized or empowered to perform any duty under this article is hereby authorized to go upon any premises to seize for impounding any dog or dogs, cat or cats which he may lawfully seize and impound when such officer is in immediate pursuit of such dog or dogs, or cat or cats, except upon the premises of the owner of the dog 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.
[Amended 6-12-2006 by Ord. No. 1992]
No person shall keep, harbor or maintain any pet which shall habitually disturb the peace and quiet of the neighborhood.
[Amended 6-12-2006 by Ord. No. 1992]
No person owning, keeping or harboring any pet shall suffer or permit it to run at large without a leash upon the public streets or in any public park or in any public building or in any other public place within the Borough unaccompanied by its owner or his/her representative. All pets shall be leashed when off the premises of its owner and keeper.
No person owning, keeping or harboring any dog or cat shall suffer or permit it to enter any food establishment, which, for the purpose of this article, includes any place used in the production, preparation, manufacture, packing, storage, transportation, sale or handling of food or foodstuffs. The provisions of this section shall not apply to "Seeing Eye" dogs.
[Amended 10-24-2005 by Ord. No. 1954; 6-12-2006 by Ord. No. 1992; 7-23-2007 by Ord. No. 2028]
A. 
No person being the owner of, or in charge or control of, or keeping or harboring any pet shall allow or permit it to defecate upon or otherwise soil, defile, or commit any nuisance upon any public property, including but not limited to any sidewalk, passageway, bike path, play area, park or any place where people congregate or walk, or upon any lawn, shrubbery or tree on any public property or upon any private property not belonging to the owner or custodian of said pet. When the pet shall defecate in the portion of a public street between the curblines, it shall not be considered a violation of this article, if, and only if, the person owning or in charge or control shall immediately remove and dispose of feces in a designated waste receptacle, or in a refuse container which is regularly emptied by the municipality or some other refuse container.
B. 
All dog walkers must carry baggies or other means of removing and disposing of the feces.
The governing body may enter into negotiations and may contract with a Dog Warden, Humane Society or the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for a period not exceeding one year for collection, keeping for, redemption, destroying or disposing of all dogs running at large or unlicensed or stray dogs or cats found within the Borough limits and for sheltering and feeding such dogs or cats during the redemption and to defray the costs thereof.
[Amended 3-25-1985 by Ord. No. 1281; 10-24-2005 by Ord. No. 1954]
A. 
If this article of the Code of the Borough of Ridgefield provides for the licensing or permitting of the violator, the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Ridgefield reserve the right to revoke such permit or license.
B. 
Any person found guilty of violating this article of the Code of the Borough of Ridgefield shall be subject to a penalty consisting of a fine or imprisonment or both, subject to the discretion of the Judge; each offense shall be a minimum fine of $250, and the maximum fine or term of imprisonment permitted to be imposed by the court having jurisdiction over the violation of this article of the Code of the Borough of Ridgefield.
[Amended 7-23-2007 by Ord. No. 2028]
C. 
In the event of a continuing violation, each day shall constitute a separate offense.
D. 
Enforcement of this article of the Code of the Borough of Ridgefield shall be by the agents and officers of the Ridgefield Police Department, including special police officers and/or agents and employees of the Board of Health.
The provisions of this article are supplementary thereto and in addition to the provisions of Chapter 151 and the Laws of New Jersey for 1941, as supplemented and amended.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.1 et seq.