Township of Clinton, NJ Animals

On or before January 31 of each year, the owner of any dog or dogs shall apply to the dog registrar and obtain a license for each dog over the age of six months.

§ 63-3 License fees.

[Amended 11-10-2004 by Ord. No. 863-04; 7-18-2007 by Ord. No. 931-07]

The license fee for spayed and neutered dogs shall be $15 per year per dog. The license fee for dogs that are neither spayed nor neutered shall be $18 per year per dog. Included in said fees is a fee in the amount of $1.20 per year, which amount shall be remitted by the Township to the State of New Jersey in accordance with applicable law.

In addition to any license fee required by Subsection A above, and in addition to any other fine imposed for failure to obtain a dog license before January 31, any owner of an unlicensed dog or any person harboring an unlicensed dog after January 31 shall pay a delinquent fee in the amount of $4 per month for each month such dog is unlicensed. Any delinquent fees collected pursuant to this subsection shall be dedicated for the purpose of animal control for the Township of Clinton.

§ 63-4 Licenses to minors.

No license to own, keep or harbor a dog in the Township shall be issued to or in the name of a minor.

§ 63-5 Running at large prohibited.

No dog shall run at large at any time in this Township.

§ 63-6 Barking dogs.

No person shall keep, harbor or maintain any dog which habitually barks or cries so as to disturb the public peace.

§ 63-7 Control of dogs off premises.

[Amended 11-10-2004 by Ord. No. 863-04]

Any dog off the premises of the person owning, keeping or harboring it shall be accompanied by and be controlled by a capable person using a standard dog leash.

Electronic leashes are to be used only on the premises of the person owning, keeping or harboring the dog.

§ 63-7.1 Curbing of dogs

[Added 11-10-2004 by Ord. No. 863-04]

Purpose. This section is to establish requirements for the proper disposal of pet solid waste so as to protect the health, safety and welfare of all citizens residing in and visiting this municipality and to prescribe penalties for failure to comply.

Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:

IMMEDIATE

The pet solid waste is removed at once, without delay.

OWNER/KEEPER

Any person who shall possess, maintain, house or harbor any pet or otherwise have custody of any pet, whether or not the owner of such pet.

PERSON

Any individual, corporation, company, partnership, firm, association or political subdivision of this state subject to municipal jurisdiction.

PET

A domesticated animal (other than a disability assistance animal) kept for amusement or companionship.

PET SOLID WASTE

Waste matter expelled from the bowels of the pet; excrement.

PROPER DISPOSAL

Placement in a designated waste receptacle, or other suitable container, and discarded in a refuse container which is regularly emptied by the municipality or some other refuse collector; or disposal into a system designed to convey domestic sewage for proper treatment and disposal.

Nuisances prohibited; curbing of dogs; responsibility of owner.

(1)

No person, agency or institution owning, harboring, keeping or in charge of any dog shall cause or allow such dog to soil, defile, defecate or commit any nuisance upon any public property or private property whatsoever.

(2)

Any person in charge of any dog on any public street or sidewalk shall immediately remove all feces deposited by such dog by any sanitary method (shovel, container, disposal bag, etc.).

(3)

Any feces removed from the aforementioned areas shall be properly disposed of by the person owning, harboring, keeping or in charge of any dog in accordance with the provisions of this section in a sanitary manner on said person's own property.

Exemptions. Any owner or keeper who requires the use of a disability assistance animal shall be exempt from the provisions of this section while such animal is being used for that purpose.

Enforcement. The provisions of this section shall be enforced by the Police Department and the local Board of Health of Clinton Township or the Board of Health's designees.

Violations and penalty. Any person(s) who is found to be in violation of the provisions of this section shall be subject to a minimum fine of $100, and a maximum fine of $1,250, according to § 1-17 entitled “General penalty,” of the Code of the Township of Clinton 2003.

§ 63-8 Liability of owner.

The conduct of a dog shall be attributed to the owner thereof, and the owner shall be deemed to have permitted any dog who acts contrary to the requirements of this article to act so, and such owner shall be guilty of the violation hereof.

§ 63-9 Impounding; disposition.

The Dog Warden shall take into custody and impound, or cause to be taken into custody and impounded and thereafter destroyed or disposed of as provided in this section:

(1)

Any dog running at large in this Township.

(2)

Any dog off the premises of the owner or the person keeping or harboring said dog and not controlled as provided in this article.

(3)

Any female dog in season off the premises of the owner or of the person keeping or harboring the dog.

When any dog so seized has been detained for seven days after notice, when notice can be given, or has been detained for seven days after seizure, when notice cannot be given in accordance with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.16, and if the owner or person keeping or harboring the dog has not claimed the dog and paid all expenses incurred by reason of its seizure and detention, and if the dog be unlicensed at the time of seizure and the owner or person keeping or harboring the dog has not produced a current license and registration tag for the dog, the Dog Warden may cause the dog to be destroyed in a manner causing as little pain as possible.

§ 63-10 Seizure of dogs.

Any dog which inflicts a wound on any human being by biting shall be seized as soon as possible by the Dog Warden and confined for a period of not less than 10 full days from the time of biting. During the period of confinement and observation, the dog shall be examined for rabies by a veterinarian at the start of the confinement and at the end of the period of confinement. The owner shall pay the expenses incurred for the examinations by the veterinarian, who shall be employed by the Township Board of Health for these purposes, and such other expenses for the period of confinement of the dog.

Notice of seizure of a dog shall be given in the same manner and the dog disposed of in the same manner as provided for in § 63-9.

§ 63-11 Contract with Dog Warden.

The Township Council shall have power to enter into a contract with one or more persons for the exercise of the duty of Dog Warden to enforce the provisions of this chapter.

§ 63-12 Reports of Dog Warden.

The Dog Warden shall submit a monthly report to the official of the Health Department, which report shall contain a description of each animal seized, the license number, if any, the reason for seizure and the disposition made of such animal.

The Dog Warden shall render a quarterly report to the Board of Health, which report shall contain the following information:

(1)

The number of dogs captured.

(2)

The number of dogs destroyed.

(3)

The number of dogs redeemed and the amounts paid for redemption.

(4)

The number of dog bite investigations and dogs quarantined.

(5)

The names of owners of dogs seized under § 63-10.

§ 63-13 Exemption for pounds and kennels.

This chapter shall not apply to pounds maintained at the public expense, kennels maintained by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, licensed veterinarian facilities and existing licensed kennels.

§ 63-14 Violations and penalties.

Any person violating any provision of this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof, be liable to a penalty of not less than $25 nor more than $500 for each offense, to be recovered by and in the name of the Township.