[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee
of the Township of Wyckoff 10-2-1990 by Ord. No. 1106. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Dogs — See Ch. 111.
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
For the purpose of this chapter, cat.
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 Wyckoff, 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
every 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 knowingly permits 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 of Wyckoff unless such 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 federal-licensed research facility; or
to a veterinary establishment where cats are received or kept for
diagnostic, medical, surgical or other treatments; or to 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 hereinbelow.
C.
Vaccination certificate. A certification 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 licensing
authority 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.
A.
Cats must have license number displayed. Any person
who shall own, keep or harbor a cat of licensing age shall, annually,
apply for and procure from the Clerk of the municipality, or other
official designated as the licensing authority, in which he/she resides
a license and official registration tag with license number 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 license numbers shall include,
but not be limited to, breakaway or elastic collars. License tags
are not transferable.
B.
Cats brought into the Township. The licensing provisions
of this chapter shall not extend to a nonresident passing through
the Township of Wyckoff, accompanied by a cat or cats kept under full
control and not permitted to run at large while in the Township. However,
all persons bringing a cat or cats into the Township of Wyckoff, which
said cat or cats shall be of licensing age, are required, within 90
days if currently licensed in another state or 10 days if unlicensed
in any state, after bringing said cat or cats into the Township of
Wyckoff, to comply with the provisions of this chapter. Only one license
and registration tag shall be required in the licensing year for any
cat in the Township of Wyckoff. Any valid New Jersey license tag issued
by a New Jersey municipality shall be accepted by this municipality
as evidence of compliance.
C.
Application for license; records. Such license shall be issued by the Clerk of the Township of Wyckoff upon application to him/her. 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; the expiration date of the mandatory rabies vaccination (if such expiration date is prior to July 1 of the licensing year, the license shall not be issued until a new certificate is presented); information regarding the sterilization as outlined in Subsection D hereinbelow; 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 Clerk. The Clerk shall issue to the owner a metal tag, numbered serially, issued in the order of the applications and bearing the year of issuance and the name of the Township.
D.
Evidence of inoculation with rabies vaccine or certification of exemption; requirement for license. The Municipal Clerk shall not grant any such license and official registration tag 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 provided by Subsection D herein. The rabies inoculation shall be administered by a duly licensed veterinarian or by such other veterinarian permitted by law to do the same.
E.
Annual fees; expiration date.
[Amended 7-24-2007 by Ord. No. 1565; 9-14-2021 by Ord. No. 1949]
(1)
The person applying for the license and registration
tag after January 1, 2022, shall pay a fee as follows: $18 for any
cat of reproductive age which has not had its reproductive capacity
permanently altered through sterilization; and $15 for all other cats.
Proof of sterilization shall be provided by a certification executed
by a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine or by the person applying for the
license. In the absence of said certification, it shall be assumed
that the cat has not been sterilized and is of reproductive age. Each
license shall be renewed annually, and for each annual renewal, the
fee for the license and for the registration tag shall be as set forth
in this section, and said license, shall expire on December 31 in
the year stated on the license. The fee for a replacement tag shall
be $5.
(2)
From February 1 until March 31 of each year, there
shall be an additional late registration fee in the amount of $15,
but during such period, the applicant shall not be subject to the
issuance of a summons in the Municipal Court.
(3)
After March 31 of each year, in addition to the fees and late registration fee set forth herein, an applicant shall be subject to the issuance of a summons in the Municipal Court and such fines and penalties as may be imposed by the Municipal Judge in accordance with § 106-5.
(4)
Loss of license. If a license tag has been misplaced
or lost, the Township Clerk may issue a duplicate license and/or registration
tag for that particular cat at a fee of $5.
(5)
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 officer, Animal Control
Officer or another authorized person.
[Amended 2-6-1993 by Ord. No. 1155]
License fees and other moneys collected or received
under the provisions of this chapter shall be forwarded to the Treasurer
of the Township of Wyckoff and shall be deposited in the current account
and shall be used for the following purposes only; for the local prevention
and control of rabies, for the performance of an annual dog/cat canvass
and for administering the provisions of this chapter.
[Amended 2-16-1993 by Ord. No. 1155]
The violation of any of the provisions of this
chapter shall subject such violator to a fine not to exceed $50 for
each offense.
