[Adopted 5-12-1992 by Ord. No. O-7-92]
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ABANDONED CAT
A cat of any age which shall be left unattended and at large for a period of 72 hours or more.
ANIMAL
For the purpose of this article, "animal" shall mean dog or cat.
ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER
An employee or appointee of the Gloucester County Animal Control who holds a certification in good standing from the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services whose specific duties include the enforcement of state statutes and local ordinances relating to animals.
[Amended 9-23-2008 by Ord. No. O-22-2008]
BARN CAT
A cat of any age which inhabits the property of a farm and farm buildings within the Township of Franklin.
CAT
Any member of the domestic feline species, male, female, or altered.
CAT OF VACCINATION AGE
Any cat which has attained the age of seven months, or which possesses a set of permanent teeth.
CATTERY
Any room or group of rooms, cage, or exhibition pen, not part of a kennel, wherein cats for sale are kept or displayed.
LICENSING AUTHORITY
The agency or department of the Township of Franklin or any designated representative thereof charged with administering the issuance and/or revocation of permits and licenses under the provision of this article.[1]
OWNER
Any person offering or allowing access to food, water, or shelter to an animal for more than 15 days.
[Amended 9-23-2008 by Ord. No. O-22-2008]
PERSON
Any individual, corporation, partnership, organization, or institution commonly recognized by law as a unit.
PUBLIC NUISANCE
A cat that damages either public or private property or harms the lawful users or occupants thereof.
STERILIZED/ALTERED
Rendered permanently incapable of reproduction as certified by a licensed veterinarian.
[Added 9-23-2008 by Ord. No. O-22-2008]
STRAY CAT
A cat having no known owner or custodian or known place of care of shelter.
[1]
Editor's Note: The former definition of "neutered," which immediately followed this definition, was repealed 9-23-2008 by Ord. No. O-22-2008.
[Amended 9-23-2008 by Ord. No. O-22-2008]
A. 
Vaccination requirements. No person shall own, keep, harbor, or maintain any cat over seven months of age within the Township of Franklin, unless such cat is vaccinated for rabies. The provisions of this section do not apply to cats held in a cattery, or those 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, 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 of each animal vaccinated on a form recommended by the state.
D. 
Exemptions. Any cat may be exempted from the requirements of such vaccination for a specified period of time by the local Board of Health upon presentation of a veterinarian's certificate stating that because of an infirmity or other physical condition, or regimen of therapy, the inoculation of such cat shall be deemed inadvisable.
E. 
The Township shall offer rabies vaccinations for dogs and cats each year at a time and place announced. The vaccination next offered by the Township following the passage of this article will have a fee of $0 for cats. Each successive year thereafter, the fee for cat inoculation shall be equal to the cost, rounded off to the next highest dollar, to the Township for supplying and administering the individual vaccination.
F. 
Disposition of fees collected. Fees and other moneys collected or received under the provisions of this article shall be forwarded to the Treasurer of the municipality, and be placed in a special account separate from any of the accounts of the municipality and shall be used for the purposes only of collecting, keeping, and disposing of cats liable to seizure, for local prevention and control of rabies, providing anti-rabies treatment under the direction of the local Board of Health for any person known or suspected to have been exposed to rabies, and for administering the provisions of this article. Any unexpended balance remaining in such special account shall be retained until the end of the third fiscal year following, and may be used for any of the purposes set forth in this section. At the end of the said third fiscal year following, and at the end of each fiscal year thereafter, there shall be transferred from such special account to the general funds of the municipality any amount then in such account which is in excess of the total amount paid into the special account during the last two fiscal years next preceding.
G. 
All cats that shall be permitted to roam at large must be altered/sterilized. Failure to comply with this provision shall result in the assessment of penalties as further outlined in § 151-41.
[Added 9-23-2008 by Ord. No. O-22-2008]
Any person who shall have failed to comply with or violates or offends the terms or any sections of this article shall, upon conviction, be liable to a penalty of not less than $50 for a first offense, but not more than $100.
[Amended 9-23-2008 by Ord. No. O-22-2008]
Any cat suspected of being infected by rabies or that is known to have or is suspected of having bitten, scratched, wounded or otherwise injured any person or persons, or has chased, attacked or caused fear upon any person, is subject to either seizure by or surrender to the duly appointed Animal Control Officer, Chief of Police, Department of Health official or any other Township official in a position of authority. In any such event, any cat so seized or surrendered shall be quarantined in an acceptable facility in a humane manner and for a reasonable time until a determination can be made that the cat does not pose a threat to the safety and health of the public, including the owner's home.