Unless the context of this article indicates otherwise, the words and phrases contained in this article shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section:
ANIMAL
For the purposes of this article, an animal refers to a pet that is a member of the kingdom of living beings, commonly known as a domestic animal that has been adapted or tamed to live in intimate association with, and for the pleasure of, the human species, and includes, but is not limited to, dogs, cats, rabbits, snakes, birds, and reptiles.
[Added 5-8-2019 by Ord. No. 0-19-01]
ANIMAL CONTROL AUTHORITY
Any person or agency designated or certified by the State of New Jersey; County of Gloucester; or South Harrison Township to enforce the provisions of this article.
[Amended 5-8-2019 by Ord. No. 0-19-01]
AT LARGE
Off the premises of the owner and not under the control of the owner or a member of his or her immediate family, either by leash, cord, chain or otherwise.
DOG
Any member of the animal species Canis Familiaris.
DOG OF LICENSING AGE
Any dog which has attained the age of seven months or which possesses a set of permanent teeth.
HARBORER
Any person who provides food and shelter for any domesticated animal on a periodic or temporary basis.
LICENSING AUTHORITY
The Township of South Harrison, or other designee, is hereby charged with administering the issuance and/or revocation of permits and licenses under the provisions of this article.
[Amended 5-8-2019 by Ord. No. 0-19-01]
NEUTERED
Rendered permanently incapable of reproduction as certified by a licensed veterinarian.
OTHER ANIMAL
For purposes of this article, all animals other than dogs, including but not limited to birds, reptiles, fish, etc., which are harbored, kept or owned or run wild in the Township of South Harrison.
OWNER
A person having right of property in any animal, who keeps an animal, who has an animal in his or her care or custody, or who knowingly permits an animal to remain on or about any premises occupied by him.
PERSON
Any individual, firm, corporation, partnership, association, trust, estate or other legal entity.
PET SHOP
An establishment operated by a person who acquires dogs, cats or other animals bred by others, whether as owner, agent or on consignment, and sells, offers to sell, exchanges or offers for adoption, with or without charge, such dogs, cats or other animals as domestic pets to the general public at wholesale or retail.
POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS DOG
Any dog or dog hybrid declared potentially dangerous by a municipal court pursuant to Section 7 of P.L. 1989, c. 307 (N.J.S.A.4:19-23).
[Added 5-8-2019 by Ord. No. 0-19-01]
TOWNSHIP OFFICIAL
Any Township Code Enforcement Official, Police Department officer, Gloucester County Animal Control Officer, the Township Clerk, or any other official or person(s) assigned or designated by the Mayor and Township Committee.
[Added 5-8-2019 by Ord. No. 0-19-01]
VICIOUS DOG
Any dog or dog hybrid declared vicious by a municipal court pursuant to Section 6 of P.L. 1989, c. 307 (N.J.S.A. 4:19-22).
[Added 5-8-2019 by Ord. No. 0-19-01]
A. 
It shall be unlawful for any person to own, harbor or keep a dog in the Township of South Harrison without first having obtained a license as required by this article. Any person who shall own, keep or harbor a dog of licensing age shall, in January of each year and annually thereafter, apply for and procure from the Municipal Clerk of the Township of South Harrison or such other licensing official as may be designated by the Council of the Township of South Harrison a license and an official metal registration tag with license number or registration sleeve for each such dog so owned, kept or harbored and shall place upon each such dog a collar or other device with the registration tag securely fastened thereto. Licenses and registration tags or sleeves are not transferable.
B. 
Fees.
(1) 
Any person applying for a dog license, registration tag or registration sleeve shall pay a fee of $6 for each dog license for a dog which has been neutered or spayed. The fee for a dog which has not been neutered or spayed is $9. For each annual renewal, the applicant shall pay the same fee for the license and registration tag as for the original license and tag. The application for such dog license shall state the breed, sex, age, color, name and markings of the animal and the name, street and post office address of the owner and the person who shall be harboring such animal. Proof of rabies vaccination is required before a license can be issued.
(2) 
In addition to state mandated fees and/or charges, including registration fees, pilot clinic fund fees and pet population control fund fees, a late charge of double the amount of the current fee shall be assessed whenever an application for renewal of an existing dog license is made after April 15 of each year.
C. 
The person applying for the license and registration tag and/or sleeve shall pay the fee fixed or authorized. Renewal thereof shall expire on the last day of December in each year in the case of dogs. Only one license and registration tag or sleeve shall be required in the licensing year for any dog in the Township of South Harrison. Any valid New Jersey license tag or sleeve issued by a New Jersey municipality shall be accepted by this municipality as evidence of compliance.
A. 
Age requirement. No person shall own, keep, harbor or maintain any dog over seven months of age within the Township of South Harrison unless such dog is vaccinated and licensed. The licensing provision of this section does not apply to dogs held in a kennel or pet shop.
B. 
Vaccination. All dogs 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 P.
C. 
Vaccination certificate. A certificate of vaccination shall be obtained by the dog owner for each dog vaccinated and provided to the licensing authority as proof of rabies vaccination.
D. 
Exemptions. Any dog may be exempted from the requirements of such vaccination for a specified period of time by the Township of South Harrison's Board of Health upon presentation of a veterinarian's certificate stating that because of an infirmity or other physical conditions, or regimen of therapy, the inoculation of such dog shall be deemed inadvisable.
E. 
Time for applying for license. The owner of any newly acquired dog of licensing age or of any dog which attains licensing age shall make application for a license, registration tag or sleeve for such dog within 10 days after such acquisition or age attainment. This requirement shall not apply to a nonresident keeping a dog within the Township of South Harrison for no longer than 90 days.
F. 
Dogs brought into the Township of South Harrison. Any person who shall bring or cause to be brought into the Township of South Harrison any dog licensed in another jurisdiction of 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 South Harrison for a period of more than 90 days shall immediately apply for a license and registration tag or sleeve for each such dog. Any person who shall bring or cause to be brought into the Township of South Harrison any unlicensed dog and who shall keep the same or permit the same to be kept within the Township of South Harrison for a period of more than 10 days shall immediately apply for a license and registration tag or sleeve for each such dog.
G. 
Application, contents and preservation of information. The application shall state the breed, sex, age, color and markings of the dog for which license and registration tag are sought, information as to whether it is spayed/neutered and whether it is of a long-haired or short-haired variety and also the name, street and post office address and telephone number of the owner and the person who shall keep or harbor such a dog. The information on said application and the registration number issued for the dog shall be preserved for a period of three years by the animal control authority.
H. 
License form and tags. License forms and official tags or sleeves shall be furnished by the Township, shall be numbered serially and shall bear the year of issuance and the name of the Township.
I. 
Evidence of inoculation with rabies vaccine or certification of exemption; requirement for license. The Municipal Clerk or other municipal official designated by the Township Committee to license dogs shall not grant any license and official registration tag or sleeve for any dog unless the owner thereof provides evidence that the dog 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 provided by Subsection D of this section. The rabies inoculation shall be administered by a duly licensed veterinarian or by such other persons permitted by law to do the same.
J. 
License fee schedule. A license shall be issued after payment of the fee required under this article.
K. 
Person authorized to issue licenses. Unless otherwise provided by resolution of the Township Committee, it shall be the duty of the Municipal Clerk to issue all license certificates on payment of the license fee required by this article, to receive any and all license fees paid for dogs in accordance with this article, to keep a record of all such fees, to issue a certificate therefor showing the name and residence of the person paying the fee, together with the number designated upon the registration tag or sleeve furnished therewith, and to pay over all moneys collected for such fees and tags to the Chief Financial Officer within 30 days.
L. 
Registration tag to be worn; unofficial tags prohibited.
(1) 
Each and every dog licensed in accordance with this article shall wear a collar, sleeve or other device to which shall be securely attached the registration tag required in § 121-2 bearing the number of the license certificate.
(2) 
The use of any other tag as a substitute for those furnished by the Township is hereby strictly forbidden, and any person found guilty of using such other tag shall be deemed guilty of violating this article.
M. 
Loss of license. If a registration tag or sleeve has been misplaced or lost, the Municipal Clerk may issue a duplicate license and/or registration tag or sleeve for that particular dog at a replacement fee of $5.
N. 
Proof of licensing. Proof of licensing shall be produced by any person owning, keeping, maintaining or harboring a dog, upon request of any health official or other authorized person.
O. 
Disposition of fees collected from licensing activities. License fees and other moneys collected or received under the provisions of this article as they pertain to dog licensing shall be forwarded to the Chief Financial Officer of the Township of South Harrison within 30 days and shall be placed in a special account separate from any of the other accounts of the municipality and shall be used for the following purposes only: collecting, keeping and disposing of dogs liable to seizure, for local prevention and control of rabies and for administering the provisions of this article. Any unexpected 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 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.
P. 
The animal control authority of the Township of South Harrison shall cause the provisions of this article to be enforced as herein provided.
A. 
Any person who keeps or operates or proposes to establish a pet shop shall apply to the Township Board of Health for a license to keep or operate such establishment. Such application shall describe the premises where the establishment is located or is proposed to be located and the purpose or purposes for which it is to be maintained and shall be accompanied by the written approval of the Sanitary Inspector of the Township of South Harrison showing compliance with local and state rules and regulations.
B. 
The annual license fee for a pet shop shall be $ 100.
C. 
All licenses issued for a pet shop shall state the purpose for which the establishment is maintained, and all such licenses shall expire on the last day of December of each year and be subject to revocation by the municipality on recommendation of the New Jersey State Health Department, Township of South Harrison Board of Health or the animal control authority of the Township of South Harrison for failure to comply with the rules and regulations of the New Jersey State Health Department or the Board of Health of the Township of South Harrison after the owner has been afforded a hearing by either the New Jersey State Health Department or the Board of Health.
A. 
The animal control authority of the Township of South Harrison shall cause an annual canvass to be made of all dogs owned, kept or harbored within the limited area of the Township of South Harrison and shall cause a report of the results thereof to be filed with the New Jersey State Health Department.
B. 
The Township Committee shall contract the necessary person(s) to conduct the annual canvass on a door-to-door basis and shall, on or before August 20 of each year, submit a report of the results of the canvassing to the Municipal Clerk. That report shall include, at a minimum, the total number of dogs owned, kept and/or harbored within the limited area of the Township of South Harrison as well as the number of unlicensed dogs discovered, a complete description of those dogs and the names and addresses of all persons owning, keeping or harboring any such unlicensed dogs.
A. 
Running at large prohibited. It shall be unlawful for any person harboring, owning or possessing any dog to permit the same to run at large. For the purpose of this section, "running at large" shall be defined to be the presence of a dog at any place except upon the premises of the owner. A dog shall not be considered to be running at large if it is on a leash and under the control of a person physically able to control it.
B. 
Impounding animals at large. Any animal running at large and/or threatening public health and safety shall be apprehended and impounded by Gloucester County Animal Control at the expense of the owner.
C. 
Entry upon premises for seizure. Any person or agent authorized or empowered to perform any duty under this article is hereby authorized to go upon any premises to seize for impounding any dog which he or she may lawfully seize and impound when he or she is in immediate pursuit of such dog, except upon premises of the owner of such dog if said owner is present and forbids such entry.
D. 
Procedures after impounding. After the impounding of any dog, the Gloucester County Animal Control shall proceed in accordance with the procedures outlined in N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.16 concerning the impounding or taking of dogs or animals into custody. In addition to any and all fees or costs as authorized and provided for by the provisions of N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.16, the Gloucester County Control Officer shall be authorized to charge the sum as an initial fee for the impounding of any said animal, together with a charge, as set by the county, for each day during which said animal was boarded by the County of Gloucester. The owner of any animal euthanized by the Gloucester County Animal Control shall be responsible for all costs associated with euthanasia and disposal.
A. 
It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to keep any dog which habitually barks, howls, yelps, whines or cries or any cat which habitually cries, howls or whines to the great discomfort of the peace and quiet of the neighborhood or in such manner as to materially disturb or annoy persons in the neighborhood who are of ordinary sensibilities. Such cats and dogs are hereby declared to be a public nuisance and, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:48-1, are also declared to be a disturbing noise.
B. 
It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to keep or harbor any dog, cat or other animal in such a manner that the premises on which such dog, cat or other animal are so kept or harbored reeks of offensive odors to the extent that the occupants of adjacent premises are materially deprived of their ability to occupy, use and otherwise enjoy those adjacent premises.
[Amended 10-11-2017 by Ord. No. 0-17-10]
The keeping, control and disposition of vicious and potentially dangerous dogs within the Township of South Harrison shall be in accordance with the provisions of the Vicious and Potentially Dangerous Dog Act, N.J.S.A. 4:19-16, et seq., as such statute may be amended ("Act"). The terms "vicious dog" and "potentially dangerous dog" shall mean any dog or dog hybrid declared vicious or potentially dangerous in accordance with the provisions of the Act cited above in this section and specifically N.J.S.A. 4:19-22 and N.J.S.A. 4:19-23, respectively.
Any person owning, keeping or harboring any dog or cat or any other animal shall not permit or suffer it to do any injury or damage to any poultry or other domestic animal.
A. 
Any person owning, keeping or harboring any dog or cat or any other animal shall not permit or suffer it to do any injury to any lawns, shrubbery, flowers, gardens or other property.
B. 
No person owning, harboring, keeping or in charge of any cat, dog or other animal shall cause, suffer or allow such cat or dog or other animal to soil, defile, defecate on or commit any nuisance on any common thoroughfare, sidewalk, passageway, bypath, play area, park or any place where people congregate or walk or upon any public property whatsoever or upon any private property without the permission of the owner of said property. The restriction in this subsection shall not apply to that portion of the street lying between the curblines, which shall be used to curb such dog, cat or other animal under the following conditions:
(1) 
The person who so curbs such dog, cat or other animal shall immediately remove all feces deposited by such dog, cat or other animal by any sanitary method approved by the local health authority.
(2) 
The faces removed from the aforementioned designated area shall be disposed of by the person owning, harboring, keeping or in charge of any dog, cat or other animal curbed in accordance with the provisions of this article in a sanitary manner approved by the local health authority.
No person, whether on public or private property, shall attract or feed wild animals, including but not limited to Canada geese, in such a way that threatens the public safety or creates a public nuisance. Nothing contained herein shall prohibit persons from feeding by throwing or scattering small quantities of food directly to birds or certain small wild animals, such as squirrels, or prohibit persons from feeding certain wild animals and birds on their private property by leaving food for such animals in a manner commonly or ordinarily used for the feeding of these wild animals and birds, such as bird feeders or other receptacles.
[Amended 5-8-2019 by Ord. No. 0-19-01]
Any person who shall in any way hinder or interfere with the Township official, Animal Control Officer, police officers or officials, constables, canvassers or any other peace officers in the performance of their duties under the provisions of this chapter, shall be deemed to have violated the provisions of this chapter.
A. 
No person shall be cruel or inhumane to an animal, said cruelty and inhumanity consisting of beating, torturing, mutilating, cruelly killing or clearly failing to provide food, drink or shelter for the animal or abandoning any animal of which he or she has charge, either as owner or otherwise.
B. 
No person owning, keeping, harboring or having the care, custody or control of any animal shall abandon such a maimed, sick, infirm or disabled animal or creature to die.
A. 
Except as provided in N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.1 et seq., any person owning, keeping or harboring any dog, cat or other animal who shall be found guilty of violating any provision of this article shall, for each offense, upon conviction thereof by the Municipal Judge, be punishable as provided in § 1-14 of this Code.
[Amended 8-9-2006 by Ord. No. 0-06-08]
B. 
If upon complaint made by the animal control authority or a member of the Police Department or any citizen of the Township against the owner or person keeping or harboring a dog and upon hearing before the Municipal Court, such dog shall be found to have caused damage to property or to have committed or threatened injury to a person, the Judge of the Municipal Court may order and direct the owner or person keeping or harboring such dog to keep the dog confined to his or her premises or restrained upon a leash, if allowed outside his or her premises, for such limited or unlimited period of time as the Judge of the Municipal Court may prescribe. For failure to comply with such order, the owner or person keeping or harboring such dog shall be subject to the general penalty provisions of this article.
[Added 5-8-2019 by Ord. No. 0-19-01]
The Township official shall enforce the provisions of this article. Nothing herein shall prohibit a private citizen from bringing or signing a complaint for an alleged violation of this article.
[Added 5-8-2019 by Ord. No. 0-19-01]
Gloucester County Animal Control Officers (GCACO), or other designate, may investigate, and/or require compliance for violations pursuant to N.J.S.A. 4:22. In the event the GCACO, or designate sees or recognizes a potential criminal situation, or the need arises where a criminal investigation is warranted, the GCACO shall make contact/report to the Municipal Humane Law Enforcement Officer for further action. The GCACO may continue to contribute to the investigation as requested or required.