[Adopted 6-4-1980 by Ord. No. 880 (§§ 95-28 to 95-33 of the 1982 Code)]
For purposes of this article, the terms as used herein shall be defined as follows:
OWNER
When it applies to the proprietorship of the dog, every person having a right of property in any dog and every person who has a dog in his custody and any person exercising control over a dog or permitting a dog to remain on premises under his or her control.
VICIOUS DOG
Any dog which has bitten or attacked or attempted to attack or bite any human being without provocation or which habitually attacks other dogs or domestic animals or destroys property.
No person owning or having the care, custody or control of any dog shall suffer or permit it to run at large on any public or private property in the Borough of Leonia, other than that of the owner or person having the care, custody or control of such dog.
A. 
Complaint; investigation; report. It shall be the duty of the Chief of Police or a police officer designated by him to receive and investigate complaints against dogs. If he deems any dog complained of to be vicious, he shall make a complaint on behalf of citizens of the Borough in the Municipal Court. Nothing herein contained shall limit the right of any person to make a similar complaint in Municipal Court.
B. 
The complaint shall be served upon the owner, harborer or keeper of an allegedly vicious dog and require the owner to appear before the Municipal Court for a hearing. At the hearing, evidence shall be presented relative to past acts of the animal, the propensities to commit similar acts in the future and a finding shall be made as to whether the animal in question is a public or private nuisance and as to whether the continued presence within the Borough would be contrary to the health and welfare of the residents of the Borough of Leonia.
C. 
Determination of Municipal Court. Any animal adjudicated as vicious, upon the order of the Municipal Court Judge, may be confined to the owner's premises or not taken from the owner's premises without a leash or muzzle or shall be removed from the Borough within three days by the owner. In the event said animal is not removed from the Borough within three days, the Borough Dog Warden or a dog control officer shall be empowered to impound the dog as set forth herein.
D. 
Control of vicious dogs. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, no person owning or having control of a dog which is vicious shall permit it to be off the property of the owner without being securely muzzled and leashed.
A. 
Causes for impounding. The Dog Warden or dog control officer of the Borough or a designated agent shall take into custody and impound any of the following dogs:
(1) 
Any dog off the premises of the owner which the Dog Warden has reason to believe is a stray dog.
(2) 
Any dog off the premises of the owner without a current registration tag on its collar.
(3) 
Any female dog, in season, off the premises of the owner.
(4) 
Any dog which is determined to be vicious, as set forth above, which is not muzzled.
B. 
Notice of seizure. If any dog impounded or seized wears its registered tag, collar or harness, having inscribed on or attached to it the name and address of any person or the owner of the dog, a notice shall immediately be served upon the person whose address is given on the collar or on the person owning the dog, stating that the dog has been seized and may be disposed of or destroyed if not claimed within seven days after the service of the notice. A notice under this section may be served either by delivering it to the person personally 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 certified mail, return receipt requested.
[Amended 4-21-2003 by Ord. No. 04-03; 12-20-2004 by Ord. No. 27-04]
A. 
No person owning, harboring, keeping or in charge of any dog shall cause, suffer or allow such dog to soil, defile, defecate on, or commit any nuisance on any common thoroughfare, public right-of-way, or public easement, passageway, bypass, play area, park or any play area, park or any place where people congregate or walk, or upon any public portion whatsoever, unless the person in control of said dog shall immediately pick up, remove and dispose of the feces deposited by such animal in any sanitary method.
B. 
No person owning, harboring or keeping or in charge of any dog shall cause, suffer or allow such dog to defile, defecate on, or commit any nuisance on private property, without the express permission of the property owners and so long as the person in control of said dog shall immediately remove any feces deposited by such animal by any sanitary method. For purposes of this section, no permission need be obtained if such dog defecates or commits any other nuisance on or within the public right-of-way or public easement existing on such private property.
C. 
The owners of licensed Seeing Eye dogs are exempt from the provisions of this section.
D. 
Officials of the Department of Public Works are granted the power to enforce this section by issuance of appropriate summons and complaint to be heard in the Leonia Municipal Court.
A. 
Any person who violates § 88-30 shall be liable to a penalty as set forth in Chapter 1, Article I, General Penalty.
B. 
Any person who violates §§ 88-31 and 88-32 shall be liable to a penalty as set forth in Chapter 1, Article I, General Penalty.