[Adopted 8-26-1958, as amended through Ord. No. 2-89 (§§ 5-1
to 5-4 of the 1975 General Ordinances)]
As used in this article, the terms "dogs," "dog of licensing age," "pet shop," "kennel," "pound" and "owner" are hereby assigned the definitions of such words as per N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.1 (Laws of 1941, Chapter 151).
A.
License required. Any person who shall own, keep or
harbor a dog of licensing age in the Township in the month of January
of each year shall procure from the Township Clerk or licensing official
a metal registration tag for each such dog so owned, kept or harbored,
and shall place upon such dog a collar or harness with the registration
tag securely fastened thereto.
B.
License fees. The person applying for a license and
registration tag shall pay a fee of $10 for each dog spayed or neutered
and $13 for each dog not spayed or neutered. Of the total fee paid
for any dog, the Township of Mansfield shall send $1 to the New Jersey
State Department of Health for rabies control, pursuant to the provisions
contained in N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.11 and any amendments thereof and 20
cents to the State of New Jersey designated for the "Pilot Clinic
Fund" pursuant to Public Law 83, Chapter 181 (N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.3c).
Mansfield Township shall send the $3 surcharge to the State of New
Jersey designated for the "Animal Population Control Fund" pursuant
to the Public Law 1983, Chapter 172 (N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.3b). The remainder
of each fee shall be retained by the Township pursuant to law. Each
license and tag shall be renewed annually, and for each annual renewal,
the person applying shall pay the same fee for the license and registration
tag, as originally provided. The license year shall run from January
31 of each year and continue until January 31 of the following year.
[Amended 10-25-2000 by Ord. No. 2000-14; 3-10-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-03; 12-26-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-16; 6-10-2015 by Ord. No. 2015-07; 12-9-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-17]
C.
Delinquent fee. Any dog owners, or person harboring
a dog, found to have an unlicensed dog by the Township Animal Control
Officer, dog canvassers or any other Township official, or other person,
after February 1 of the year for which such dog should have been licensed
pursuant to this article, shall be required to pay an additional $5
delinquent fee for each month the dog is unlicensed after January
31 of any year for which such license should be issued. This delinquent
registration fee shall not be applicable for dogs acquired by the
owners after February 1 of such year.
[Amended 3-10-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-03]
D.
Licenses issued to adults. No license to own, keep
or harbor a dog shall be issued to or in the name of any person under
the age of 18 years.
E.
Seeing eye dogs. Dogs used as guides for blind persons,
commonly known as "Seeing Eye dogs," dogs used to assist handicapped
persons and commonly known as "service dogs" and dogs used to assist
deaf persons and commonly known as "hearing ear" dogs shall be licensed
and registered as other dogs as hereinbefore provided, except that
no fee shall be charged therefor.[1]
A.
Running at large. No person shall permit or suffer
any dog to run at large at any time within the limits of the Township.
B.
Leash required. No dog shall be permitted off the
premises of a person owning, keeping or harboring same unless accompanied
by a person capable of controlling it and having the dog securely
confined and controlled by an adequate leash or chain not more than
six feet in length.
C.
Damaging lawns and shrubbery. No person owning, keeping
or harboring a dog shall permit it to do any injury or to do any damage
to any lawns, plants, shrubbery, flowers, grounds or property of persons
other than the owner or person having care, custody and control of
said dog.
D.
Barking and whining prohibited. No person owning,
keeping or harboring a dog shall at any time permit or suffer such
dog to indulge in loud, disturbing, continuous or repetitious barking,
crying or whining, so as to disturb the health, comfort, sleep or
peace of human beings at any time, or to unduly annoy the neighborhood
and constitute a nuisance thereto.
A.
Animal Control Officer contract. The Township Committee
shall have the power to enter into contracts or agreements with one
or more persons for the exercise of the duty of Animal Control Officer
or pound keeper to enforce the provisions of this article.
B.
Dog canvass. The pound keeper, Animal Control Officer
or some other fit person to be appointed annually by the Township
Committee, shall biennially cause a canvass to be made of all dogs
owned, kept or harbored within the limits of the Township in accordance
with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.15, and make a report required
by such statute.[1]
C.
Impounding.
(1)
It shall be the duty of the person employed or appointed
as Animal Control Officer or pound keeper and of any police officer
or constable of the Township to enforce the provisions of this article
and to take into custody and impound the following:
(a)
Any dog running at large in the Township.
(b)
Any dog found off the premises of the owner
or the person keeping or harboring the dog, which such official or
his agent or agents shall have reason to believe is a stray dog.
(c)
Any dog off the premises of the owner or persons
keeping or harboring the dog, which dog is not controlled by a leash
or chain as provided in this article.
(d)
Any dog with fierce, dangerous or vicious propensities
or noticeably affected with rabies or which has been bitten by a dog
suspected of having rabies.
(e)
Any dog off the premises of its owner or the
person keeping or harboring such dog without a current registration
tag on the dog's collar about the dog's neck.
(f)
Any female dog in season off the premises of
the owner or the person keeping or harboring such female dog.
(2)
Any dog seized under this article shall be handled
and disposed of with proper notice given as required by N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.16.
D.
The owner of any animal impounded pursuant to this
article or any other provision of the Township Code or state law shall
be responsible for the full costs of impoundment, boarding, medical
treatment and, if deemed necessary, the destruction of said animal.
[Added 4-9-2008 by Ord. No. 2008-05]
[Added 6-10-2015 by Ord.
No. 2015-07]
Violations of the provisions of this article shall be punishable as provided in § 1-17 of the Code of the Township of Mansfield.
