Township of Riverside, NJ Animals

Is born in the wild or is the offspring of an owned or feral cat and is not socialized; or

Is a formerly owned cat that has been abandoned and is no longer socialized.

GOVERNING BODY

The Township of Riverside Committee.

KENNEL

Any establishment or premises whereupon or wherein four or more dogs and cats are kept, maintained or harbored or whereupon or wherein the business of boarding, selling or breeding dogs is carried on, except a pet shop.

MUNICIPALITY

The Township of Riverside.

OWNER

When applied to the proprietorship of a dog or cat, included every person having a right of property in such dog or cat and every person who has such dog or cat in his keeping.

PERSON

An individual, firm, partnership, corporation or association of persons.

PET SHOP

Any room or group of rooms, cage or exhibition pen, not part of a kennel, wherein dogs or cats for sale are kept or displayed.

POUND

Any establishment for the confinement of dogs or cats seized either under the provisions of this article or otherwise.

SHELTER

Any establishment where dogs and cats are received, housed and distributed without charge.

The words "and" and "or" may be used interchangeably, and either of the two may be applicable, whichever is more conducive toward the effectuating of this article.

Personal pronouns shall mean either the singular or the plural, whichever is applicable and conducive toward the effectuating of this article.

The masculine, feminine or the neuter gender shall be implied, whichever is appropriate and conducive for the effectuating of this article.

§ 125-2 License required.

No person shall keep or harbor any dog or cat within the Township of Riverside without first obtaining a license therefor, to be issued by the person designated by the governing body to license dogs and cats upon application by the owner and payment of the prescribed fee, and no person shall keep or harbor any dog or cat in said Township of Riverside except in compliance with the provisions of this article.

§ 125-3 Registration tags.

Any person who shall own, keep or harbor a dog or cat of licensing age shall in the month of January apply for and procure from the person designated by the governing body to license dogs and cats a license and official metal registration tag for each such dog or cat so owned, kept or harbored and shall place upon each such dog or cat a collar or harness with the registration tag securely fastened thereto, and in addition to such tag, each cat shall have three bells securely fastened or affixed to such strap, collar or harness. Duplicate tags will be issued upon satisfactory proof of the loss of the original tag and upon the payment of a fee of $0.25. Said license is not transferable.

§ 125-4 License fees; exceptions.

The person applying for the license and registration tag shall pay a fee of $7 for each dog to be licensed hereunder and the sum of $1 for the registration tag of each dog. For each annual renewal, the fee for the license and the registration tag shall be the same as for the original license and tag.

[Amended 11-11-1981 by Ord. No. 1981-15]

The person applying for the license and registration tag shall pay a fee of $8 for each cat to be licensed hereunder. For each annual renewal, the fee for the license and the registration tag shall be the same as for the original license and tag.

[Amended 11-11-1981 by Ord. No. 1981-15]

Said licenses, registration tags and renewals thereof shall expire on the last day of December in each year.

Dogs used as guides for blind persons and commonly known as "Seeing Eye dogs" shall be licensed and registered as other dogs herein above provided for, except that the owner or keeper of such dog shall not be required to pay any fee therefor.

Any person applying for a dog or cat license, either for renewal of a previous license or for the first time, and failing to comply with the time requirements set forth herein, will be charged an administrative fee to compensate for the additional administrative procedures in the amount of $5, which is in addition to all other fees set forth herein.

[Amended 2-22-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-01]

§ 125-5 Time requirement.

The owner of any newly acquired dog or cat of licensing age or of any dog or cat which attains licensing age shall make application for license and registration tag for such dog or cat within 10 days after such acquisition or age attainment.

§ 125-6 Information for application; evidence of rabies inoculation required.

[Amended 7-24-1989 by Ord. No. 1989-13]

The application shall state the breed, sex, age, color and markings of the dog or cat for which license and registration are sought and whether it is a long-haired or short-haired variety; also the name, street and post office address of the owner, who shall be over the age of 18 years, and the person who shall keep or harbor such dog or cat. The applicant shall provide suitable proof in the case of a dog and cat that the animal has been inoculated with rabies vaccine in accordance with N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.2a.

§ 125-7 Animals brought into municipality.

Any person who shall bring or cause to be brought into the municipality any dog or cat licensed in another state for the current year and bearing a registration tag and who shall keep the same or permit the same to be kept within the municipality for a period of more than 90 days shall immediately apply for a license and registration tag for each such dog or cat unless such dog or cat is licensed under § 125-9 of this article.

Any person who shall bring or cause to be brought into the municipality any unlicensed dog or cat and who shall keep the same or permit the same to be kept within the municipality for a period of more than 10 days shall immediately apply for a license and registration tag for each such dog or cat, unless such dog or cat is licensed pursuant to this article.

§ 125-8 Removal of registration tags.

No person, except an officer in the performance of his duties, shall remove a registration tag from the collar of any dog or cat without the consent of the owner, nor shall any person attach a registration tag to a dog or cat for which it was not issued.

§ 125-9 Kennels, animal hospitals, shelters and pounds.

Any person who keeps or operates or proposes to establish a kennel, an animal hospital, a pet shop, a shelter or a pound shall apply to the Animal Control Officer or other person designated by the governing body to license dogs and cats for a license entitling him to keep or operate such establishment.

[Amended 12-17-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-05]

The 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 Health Officer of the Board of Health of the municipality showing compliance with the local and state rules and regulations governing location of and sanitation at such establishments.

All licenses issued for a kennel, animal hospital, pet shop, shelter or pound shall state the purpose for which the establishment is maintained, and all such licenses shall expire on the last day of January of each year, and be subject to revocation by the governing body on recommendations of the State Department of Health or the Board of Health of the municipality or county for failure to comply with the rules and regulations of the State Department or the Board of Health of the municipality or county governing the same after the owner has been afforded a hearing by either the State Department or the Board of Health of the municipality or county.

Any person holding such license shall not be required to secure individual licenses for dogs or cats owned by such licensee and kept at such establishments; such licenses shall not be transferable to another owner or different premises.

No such kennel, animal hospital, pet shop, shelter or pound shall be operated or maintained in the municipality and no license shall be granted therefor wherein any dog, cat or any other animal may be kept or harbored in any building or other place therein or thereat, the nearest point of which building or other place shall be within 500 yards of any residence containing sleeping quarters occupied as such in the municipality except by the owner or operator thereof.

Every such kennel, animal hospital, pet shop, shelter or pound shall be subject to such reasonable rules and regulations in regard thereto as may be prescribed by the governing body. Any premises so used and all buildings and enclosures thereon shall be kept clean and sanitary. All animal carcasses shall be immediately and properly disposed of and shall not be buried within the municipality limits. Any health officer or police officer of the municipality shall have the right, at any reasonable hour in the daytime or nighttime, to enter into said premises and any buildings and enclosures thereon and to make such examination thereof as he shall deem proper.

No such kennel, animal hospital, pet shop, shelter or pound shall be operated or maintained except as permitted by Chapter 255, Part 2, Zoning.

§ 125-10 Fees for kennels, animal hospitals, shelter and pounds.

The annual license fee for a kennel providing accommodations for 10 or fewer dogs shall be $10 and for more than 10 dogs, $25. The annual license fee for an animal hospital providing accommodations for 10 or fewer dogs, cats or other animals shall be $10 and for more than 10 dogs, cats or other animals, $25. The annual license fee for a pet shop shall be $10. No fee shall be charged for a shelter or pound.

§ 125-11 Dogs to remain on premises.

No dog kept in a kennel, animal hospital, pet shop, shelter or pound shall be permitted off such premises, except on leash or in a crate or other safe control.

§ 125-12 Use of fees received.

License fees and other moneys collected or received under the provisions of this article shall be received and disposed of as provided in N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.11, as supplemented and amended.

§ 125-13 Duty of Township officials.

[Amended 12-17-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-05]

It shall be the duty of the Animal Control Officer or other person designated by the governing body to license dogs and cats to carry out the provisions of N.J.S.A. 4:19-15 et seq., as supplemented and amended, and to make a similar canvass of all cats owned, kept or harbored within the limits of the municipality and to report to the Clerk and Board of Health of the municipality or county the result thereof.

§ 125-14 Appointment of Animal Control Officer.

[Amended 12-17-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-05]

The governing body shall have power to appoint annually a Animal Control Officer or, by agreement and appropriate resolutions, an interlocal services arrangement, whereby it shall enforce the provisions of this article and the provisions of Chapter 151 of the Laws of New Jersey for 1941, as supplemented and amended.[1]

Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.1 et seq.

§ 125-15 Impoundment of animals.

The Animal Control Officer or other agency designated by the governing body to license dogs and cats shall take into custody and impound or cause to be taken into custody and impounded, and thereafter destroyed and disposed of:

[Amended 12-17-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-05]

Any dog or cat off the premises of the owner or of the person keeping or harboring said dog or cat, which said official or his agent or agents have reason to believe is a stray dog or cat.

Any dog or cat off the premises of the owner or of the person keeping or harboring said dog or cat without a current registration tag on his collar.

(3)

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

Dogs so taken into custody shall be impounded, destroyed or disposed of as provided in N.J.S.A. 4:19-15 et seq., as supplemented and amended.

Cats so taken into custody shall be impounded, destroyed or disposed of in the same manner as is herein provided for the impounding, destruction or disposal of dogs.

§ 125-16 Dogs and cats at large; property damage.

It shall be unlawful for any person or corporation owning, keeping, harboring or housing the custody or possession of any dog or cat, whether registered or not, to permit such dog or cat at any time to be in or upon any public street, avenue, road or highway or upon any public place or place to which the general public is invited or to permit such dog or cat at any time to run at large in said Township unless such dog or cat shall be led by a chain, cord, thong or other leash (not more than six feet long) in the hands of a person capable of leading and controlling such dog or cat or shall be securely confined in an automobile or other vehicle.

It shall be unlawful for any person or corporation owning, keeping, harboring or housing custody or possession of any dog or cat, whether registered or not, to permit such dog or cat to be in or upon any private property or premises belonging to another person without the express and prior authority of such person.

Damage to property. No person or corporation owning, keeping, harboring or housing custody or possession of any dog or cat shall permit or suffer such dog or cat to do any injury or to do any damage to any lawn, shrubbery, flowers, grounds or property.

§ 125-17 Entry upon premises for purpose of seizure.

Any officer 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 or dogs or cat or cats which he may lawfully seize and impound when such officer is in immediate pursuit of such dog or dogs or cat or cats, except upon the premises of the owner of the dog or cat if said owner is present and forbids the same.

§ 125-18 Interference with duties.

No person shall hinder, molest or interfere with anyone authorized or empowered to perform any duty under this article.

§ 125-19 Disturbance of the peace.

No person shall keep, harbor or maintain any dog or cat which shall habitually disturb the peace and quiet of the neighborhood.

§ 125-20 Vicious dogs.

[Amended 12-17-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-05]

The term "vicious dogs," where used in this article, shall mean and include any dog which at any time has attacked or shall attack a human being or other dogs or domestic animals or fowl. Any vicious dog which shall be in or upon any public street, avenue, road or highway or in any public place or upon any private property or premises belonging to a person other than the person or corporation owning, keeping, harboring or housing the custody or possession of the attacking dog may be seized, taken into custody and impounded by the poundkeeper, dogcatcher, animal control officer, any member of the Police Department of said Township or by any other person or persons who may be employed or appointed by said Township or by its governing body for that purpose. Said official who seizes or causes to be seized and impounds or causes to be impounded said dog shall report the facts to the Municipal Judge of the respective Township, who shall thereupon cause the owner or person harboring such dog to be notified, in writing, of the fact that such dog has been impounded and of the reason for said impounding, and notified to appear before said Municipal Judge at a stated time and place. After hearing the facts of the case, the Municipal Judge will arrive at a conclusion as to whether the dog will be destroyed or whether it will be returned to the person or corporation owning, keeping, harboring or having custody or possession of the dog.

§ 125-21 Nuisances prohibited.

[Amended 10-23-1995 by Ord. No. 1995-11]

No person owning, keeping or harboring any dog or cat shall suffer or permit it to soil, defile or commit any nuisance on any common thoroughfare, sidewalk, passageway, bypath, play area, park or any place where people congregate or walk or upon a lawn, shrubbery or tree on any private property not belonging to the owner or custodian of said dog or cat; provided, however, that for the purpose of this section of this article, the above-mentioned restrictions shall not apply to that portion of the street lying between the curblines which shall be used to curb said dog. The owner or custodian of a dog that has been curbed must remove and properly dispose of any feces.

§ 125-22 Violations and penalties.

[Amended 9-25-1995 by Ord. No. 1995-10; 8-23-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-18; 12-17-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-05]

Refer to Chapter 1, Article III, Violations.[1]

Editor's Note: So in original.

§ 125-23 Construal of provisions.

The provisions of this article are supplementary thereto and in addition to the provisions of Chapter 151 of the Laws of New Jersey for 1941, as supplemented and amended.[1]

Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.1 et seq.

Article II Feral Cats

[Adopted 7-19-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-7[1]]

ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER (ACO)

Editor's Note: This ordinance also superseded former Art. II, Community Cat Program, adopted 12-17-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-05.

§ 125-24 Definitions.

As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:

Any person employed or appointed by the municipality who is authorized to investigate violations of laws and regulations concerning animals and to issue citations and make arrests in accordance with New Jersey law and municipal ordinance.

CAREGIVER/OWNER

Any person who provides food, water, shelter or necessary medical care to or otherwise cares for an animal or feral cat colony and any person who has an animal in his or her care, custody or control.

EAR TIPPING

Straight-line cutting of the tip of the left ear of a cat while the cat is anesthetized for the purpose of identifying cats in a colony.

FERAL CAT

A cat who currently exists in a wild or untamed state and has no interaction with humans.

FERAL CAT COLONY

A group of cats that congregates. Although not every cat in a colony may be feral, any nonferal cats that routinely congregate with a colony shall be deemed to be a part of it once it has been impounded at the municipal animal shelter for the state-required seven days as a stray and released back into the colony.

HUMANE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER (HLEO)

A Humane Law Enforcement Officer is appointed by a municipality and is certified by the New Jersey Police Training Commission (PTC) after completing a PTC-approved course of instruction. The Humane Law Enforcement Officer investigates animal cruelty or animal abuse situations.

NUISANCE

Disturbing the peace by:

Habitually or continually howling, crying or screaming;

The habitual destruction of property against the wishes of the owner of the property; or

Generating complaints from residents.

SUITABLE SHELTER

Shelter that provides protection from rain, sun, and other elements and is adequate to protect the health of the cat.

TNR

Trap, neuter and return.

TNR PROGRAM

A program pursuant to which cats are trapped or physically captured, neutered or spayed, vaccinated against rabies, ear-tipped and returned to the current location where they congregate.

§ 125-25 Feral cat colonies.

Feral cat colonies shall be permitted, and the caregiver/owner shall be entitled to maintain them in accordance with the terms and conditions of this article.

Animal control requirements. It shall be the duty of the ACO/HLEO to:

Conduct a thorough review to determine if the caregiver/owner has the capability to meet the requirements;

Help to resolve any complaints over the conduct of a colony caregiver/owner or of cats within a colony;

(3)

Maintain records provided by colony caregiver's/owner's on the size and location of the colonies as well as the vaccination and spay/neuter records and electronic animal identification device (EAID) number of cats in the caregiver's/owner's colonies;

(4)

Adhere to the protocols incorporated by reference herein.

§ 125-26 Feral cat caregiver/owner requirements.

The caregiver/owner is responsible for the following:

Submitting the feral cat colony for registration with the Township Clerk;

Taking steps that are reasonably likely to result in the vaccination of the colony population for rabies and making reasonable efforts to update the vaccinations on cats that can be recaptured;

Taking steps that are reasonably likely to result in the spaying/neutering, by a licensed veterinarian, of at least 90% of the colony population. In facilitating the spaying/neutering of cats, caregivers/owners shall be presumed to have acted in good faith in concluding that cats routinely congregating within the colony are feral;

Providing the ACO/HLEO with descriptions of each cat in the colony and copies of documents evidencing that the cats have been vaccinated and spayed/neutered;

Providing daily food, water and, if feasible, suitable shelter for colony cats;

Observing the colony cats at least twice per week and keeping a record of any illnesses or unusual behavior noticed in any colony cats;

Obtaining proper medical attention to any colony cat that appears to require it;

Obtaining the written approval of the owner of any property, to which the caregiver/owner requires access to provide colony care;

In the event that kittens are born to a colony cat, taking reasonable steps likely to result in the removal of the kittens from the colony after they have been weaned and the placement of the kittens in a municipal animal shelter for the seven-day stray period required by the state before the animals are placed in homes or foster homes for the purpose of subsequent permanent placement;

Making reasonable efforts to find permanent inside homes for colony cats who exhibit the potential for acclimating to such a placement;

Reporting biannually, in writing, to the ACO/HLEO on the status of the colony, including data on the number and gender of all cats in the colony, the number of cats that died or otherwise ceased being a part of the colony during the year; the number of kittens born to colony cats and their disposition and the number of cats and kittens placed in permanent homes as companion cats.

§ 125-27 Colony cat requirements.

The left ear of a colony cat that has been spayed or neutered and vaccinated shall be ear-tipped.

An electronic animal identification device (EAID) shall be inserted into the cat by a veterinarian in accordance with professional medical standards. The caregiver/owner shall be the named contact for purposes of the EAID and provide the EAID number to the ACO/HLEO.

No animal trapped or impounded by Animal Control due to a resident complaint may be released into a feral colony.

No animal may be relocated into a feral cat colony more than three Township blocks from the actual location that the cat was trapped.

Only animals from the Township of Riverside may be introduced into a feral cat colony in the Township of Riverside.

§ 125-28 Disposition of colony cats.

An Animal Control Officer who has trapped a cat whose left ear has been tipped or who bears some other distinguishing mark indicating that the cat belongs to a feral cat colony shall scan the cat for an EAID. If an EAID is found, the Officer shall contact the caregiver/owner or other person responsible for the cat.

Once contacted, the caregiver/owner shall be responsible for retrieving the cat from the ACO/HLEO, or, if the ACO/HLEO has delivered the cat to a shelter, the sponsor shall retrieve the cat from the shelter within seven business days of notification or shall advise the shelter if the sponsor does not intend to retrieve the cat. The caretaker/owner will be responsible for any fees occurred by the municipality for sheltering or medical attention.

§ 125-29 Registration of feral cat colonies.

The caregiver/owner shall register feral cat colonies in the manner set forth in this section.

Upon initial application of an approved caregiver/owner to register a colony, caregiver/owner shall comply with this article. Following compliance with this article, the ACO/HLEO may grant provisional registration to the preferred colony, entitling the caregiver/owner and the colony to all benefits and protections set forth in this article.

Within a sixty-day time period following provisional registration, the caregiver/owner shall follow the required procedures as set forth in this section with respect to the preferred colony. Upon completion, the ACO/HLEO may grant full registration to the colony or shall revoke the provisional registration of the colony.

Feral cat colonies within the municipality that are not registered by the caregiver/owner, either provisionally or fully, are not entitled to any benefits or protections set forth in this article.

§ 125-30 Enforcement.

Nothing shall interfere with the municipality's ability to:

Seize/remove a cat from a colony that is creating a nuisance as defined above.