[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee
of the Township of Plainsboro 11-12-1990 by Ord. No. 0-90-23. Amendments noted
where applicable.]
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
Cat.
Any person or agency designated certified by the State of
New Jersey to enforce the provisions of this chapter.
Any member of the domestic feline species; male, female or
altered.
Any cat which has attained the age of seven months, or which
possesses a set of permanent teeth.
Any room or group of rooms, cage or exhibition pen, not part
of a kennel, wherein cats for sale are kept or displayed.
The agency or department of the Township of Plainsboro or
any designated representative thereof charged with administering the
issuance and/or revocation of permits and licenses under the provisions
of this chapter.
Rendered permanently incapable of reproduction as certified
by a licensed veterinarian.
When applied to the proprietorship of a cat, shall include
any 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 encourages a cat to remain on or about any premises
occupied by that 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 seven months of age within
the Township, unless such a cat is vaccinated and licensed. The provisions
of this section do not apply to cats held in a cattery or those held
by a state or federally licensed research facility or a veterinary
establishment where cats are received or kept for diagnostic, medical,
surgical or other treatments or licensed animal shelters, pounds,
kennels or pet shops.
B.
Vaccination. All cats 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, except as provided for in Subsection D.
C.
Vaccination certificate. A certificate of vaccination
shall be issued to the owner or each animal vaccinated on a form recommended
by the state.
D.
Exemptions. Any cat may be exempted from the requirement
of such vaccination for a specified period of time by the licensing
official, upon presentation of a veterinarian's certificate stating
that, because of an infirmity or other physical condition or regimen
or therapy, the inoculation of such cat shall be deemed inadvisable.
A.
Cats must have license numbers displayed. Any person
who shall own, keep or harbor a cat of licensing age in the Township
shall annually apply for and procure from the Township Clerk or other
official designated by the Township Committee to license cats a license
and official registration tag with license number or registration
sleeve for each cat so owned, kept or harbored and shall place upon
such cat a collar or other device with the license number securely
fastened or displayed thereto. Acceptable methods of displaying the
license number shall include, but are not limited to, breakaway, or
elastic collars. License tags or sleeves are not transferable.
B.
Time 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 tag or sleeve for such eat
within 10 days after such acquisition or age attainment. This requirement
will not apply to a nonresident keeping a cat within the Township
for no longer than 90 days.
C.
Cats brought into the Township. Any person who shall
bring or cause to be brought into Township any cat licensed in another
state for the current year and bearing a registration tag or sleeve
and who shall keep the same or permit the same to be kept within the
Township for a period of 90 days shall immediately apply for a license
and registration tag or sleeve for each such cat.
D.
Application, contents, preservation of information.
The application shall state the breed, sex, age, color and markings
of the cat for which the license and registration are sought and whether
it is of a long- or short-haired variety; also the name, street and
post office box 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 preserved for a period of three
years by the Township Clerk or other official designated to license
cats in the Township.
E.
Evidence on inoculation with rabies vaccine or certification
of exemption; requirement for license. The Township Clerk or other
official designated by the Township Committee to license cats shall
not grant any such license and official registration tag or sleeve
for any cat unless the owner thereof provides evidence that the cat
to be licensed and registered has been inoculated with a rabies vaccine
of a type approved by and administered in accordance with the recommendations
of the United States Department of Agriculture and the United States
Department of Human Services or has been certified exempt as hereinabove
provided. The rabies inoculation shall be administered by a duly licensed
veterinarian or by such other veterinarian permitted by law to do
the same.
F.
License fee schedule. A license shall be issued after
payment of a fee of $16.20 for each nonneutered cat and $13.20 for
each neutered cat. Persons who fail to obtain a license as required
within the time period specified herein will be subject to a delinquent
fee of $5 for the first month and an additional $5 for every month
thereafter.
[Amended 11-7-2007 by Ord. No. 0-07-17]
G.
Fees, renewals, expiration date of license; license
from another New Jersey municipality accepted. The person applying
for the license and registration tag and/or sleeve shall pay the fee
fixed or authorized. The fee for the renewal of license and registration
tag or sleeve shall be the same as for the original, and said license,
registration tag or sleeve and renewal thereof shall expire on December
31 of that year. Only one license and registration tag or sleeve shall
be required in the licensing year for any cat in this Township. Any
valid New Jersey license tag or sleeve issued by a New Jersey municipality
shall be accepted by this Township as evidence of compliance.
H.
Loss of license. If a licensee tag has been misplaced
or lost, the licensing official may issue a duplicate license and/or
registration for that particular cat after payment of a fee of $10.
[Amended 11-7-2007 by Ord. No. 0-07-17]
I.
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 office, animal control
officer or other authorized person.
Except as otherwise provided in this chapter,
the maximum penalty for violation of any provision of this chapter
shall be a fine not exceeding $1,000 or imprisonment for a period
not exceeding 90 days, or both.
