Township of Rochelle Park, NJ Registration and Vaccination of Cats

No person shall own, keep, harbor or maintain any cat over seven months of age within the Township of Rochelle Park unless such cat is vaccinated and licensed; provided, however, that this section shall not apply to cats held by a state or federal 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.

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 in Subsection D.

A certificate of vaccination shall be issued to the owner of each animal vaccinated on a form recommended by the state.

Any cat may be exempt from the requirements of such vaccination for a specified period of time by the Rochelle Park Health Officer, upon presentation of a veterinarian's certificate that because of an infirmity or other physical condition, or regimen of therapy, the inoculation of such cat is deemed inadvisable.

§ 73-3 Licensing requirements.

Any person who shall own, keep or harbor a cat which has attained the age of seven months or which possesses a set of permanent teeth within the Township of Rochelle Park shall annually apply for and procure from the Township Health Officer or his/her designee a license and official registration tag with license number or a registration sleeve for each cat so owned, kept or harbored and shall place on such cat a collar or other device with the license number securely fastened or displayed thereon. Acceptable methods of displaying license numbers include, but shall not be limited to, breakaway or elastic collars. License tags or sleeves are not transferable.

The owner of any newly acquired cat which has attained the age of seven months or possesses a set of permanent teeth or of any cat which attains the age of seven months or which obtains a set of permanent teeth shall make application for a license tag or sleeve for such cat within 10 days after such acquisition or age attainment. This requirement shall not apply to a nonresident keeping a cat within the Township of Rochelle Park for 90 days or less.

Any person who shall bring or cause to be brought into the Township of Rochelle Park 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 of Rochelle Park for a period of more than 90 days shall immediately apply for a license and registration tag or sleeve for each such cat. Any person who shall bring or cause to be brought into the Township of Rochelle Park any unlicensed cat which has attained the age of seven months or which possesses a set of permanent teeth and who shall keep the same or permit the same to be kept within the Township of Rochelle Park for a period of more than 10 days shall immediately apply for a license and registration tag or sleeve for each such cat.

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 address 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 Health Officer.

License form and official tags and sleeves shall be furnished by the Township of Rochelle Park and shall be numbered serially and shall bear the year of issuance and the name of the Township of Rochelle Park.

The Township Health Officer shall not grant any such license or any 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 who has been certified exempt as provided in § 73-2 of this chapter. The rabies inoculation shall be administered by a duly licensed veterinarian or by such other veterinarian permitted by law to do the same.

A license shall be issued after payment of an annual fee of $10 for each unneutered or unspayed cat and $7 for each neutered or spayed cat.

Licenses from other municipalities within New Jersey shall be 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 a license and registration tag or sleeve shall be the same as for the original, and said license, registration tag or sleeve or renewal thereof shall expire on January 31 in the following year. Only one license and registration tag or sleeve shall be required in any licensing year for any cat within the Township of Rochelle Park. Any valid New Jersey license tag or sleeve issued by a New Jersey municipality shall be accepted by Rochelle Park as evidence of compliance.

If the license tag or sleeve has been misplaced or lost, the Township Health Officer may issue a duplicate license and/or registration sleeve for that particular cat for a fee of $4.

Proof of licensing shall be produced by any person owning, keeping, maintaining or harboring a cat upon the request of any health officer, police officer, animal control officer or other authorized person.

Should any person who owns, keeps or harbors a cat which is required to be licensed pursuant to borough ordinance fail to obtain a license by January 31, there shall be included in the cost of said license fee a late charge of $5. Should a license not be obtained before February 15 of a given year, then a summons will be issued which will require the applicant to pay not only the cost of the license but a fine in the amount of $25 plus court costs for each violation. Said summons may be paid through the Violations Bureau of the Municipal Court.

[Added 10-20-1993 by Ord. No. 663; amended 10-16-1996 by Ord. No. 735]

§ 73-4 Interference.

No person shall hinder, molest or interfere with anyone authorized or empowered to perform any duties under this chapter.

§ 73-5 Impoundment; notice.

The Animal Control Officer, members of the Police Department or any other person appointed for such purpose by the Township Committee of the Township of Rochelle Park shall take into custody and impound or cause to be taken into custody and impounded:

(1)

Any cat off the premises of the owner or the person keeping or harboring said cat which said official or his agent or agents have reason to believe is a stray cat.

(2)

Any cat off the premises of the owner or the person keeping or harboring said cat without a current registration tag on his collar.

(3)

Any cat or other animal which is suspected to be rabid.

(4)

Any cat or other 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.

If any animal so seized wears a collar or harness having inscribed thereon or attached thereto the name and address of any person or a registration tag or the owner or the person keeping or harboring said animal is known, any person authorized by the Township Committee shall forthwith serve on the person whose address is given on the collar or on the owner or the person keeping or harboring said animal, if known, a notice, in writing, stating that the animal has been seized and will be liable to be offered for adoption 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 on whom it is to be served 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 post in a prepaid letter addressed to that person at his usual or last known place of abode or to the address given on the collar.

Any person authorized by the Township Committee may cause an animal to be destroyed in a manner causing as little pain as possible and consistent with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 4:22-19 or offered for adoption seven days after seizure, provided that:

(1)

Notice is given as set forth above and the animal remains unclaimed;

(2)

The owner or person keeping or harboring the animal has not claimed the animal and paid all expenses incurred by reason of its detention, including maintenance costs not exceeding $4 per day; or

(3)

The owner or person keeping or harboring a cat which was unlicensed at the time of seizure does not produce a license and registration tag for the cat.