[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of Jenkintown as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Nuisances — See Ch. 122.
Zoning — See Ch. 181.
[Adopted 11-25-1974]
This article is enacted to regulate the maintenance, keeping or possession of animals within the Borough of Jenkintown in order to promote the health, safety and general welfare of its inhabitants. Where the provisions of this article impose greater restrictions than those of any other ordinance, regulation or resolution, the provisions of this article shall be controlling. Where the provisions of any other ordinance, regulation or resolution impose greater restrictions than this article, the provisions of such other ordinance, regulation or resolution shall be controlling.
The following definitions shall apply in the interpretation and enforcement of this article:
ANIMAL
"Animal" shall be construed in a broad sense to include not only animals so-called, but also birds, fish, reptiles and insects.
MENAGERIE
A collection of animals not listed in § 66-3 kept in cages or enclosures for exhibition by a full-time professional trainer.
OFFICER
Police officer or duly appointed Animal Control Officer.
[Amended 4-28-1980 by Ord. No. 80-13]
PERSON
Any individual, partnership, association, corporation, estate or trust, as well as all officers, agents, servants, employees or others acting for any of the same, and shall be taken as applying in the singular or plural, as the case may require.
PET SHOP
A retail shop primarily in the business of selling animals and maintaining, keeping or possessing any animal for which a permit may be issued by the officer under § 66-5 hereof at any time during the calendar year or any part thereof.
ZOOLOGICAL GARDEN
A collection of animals not listed in § 66-3 maintained in a park or garden by an educational, nonprofit or governmental corporation under the supervision of at least one professional zoologist.
[Amended 4-28-1980 by Ord. No. 80-13; 11-25-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-9]
Any person is permitted to maintain, keep or possess within the Borough of Jenkintown any of the following animals, which classification shall be strictly construed:
Cage birds (the term includes parakeets, parrots, canaries, finches, love birds, myna birds and other birds ordinarily kept in cages in households; it excludes wild birds captured or rescued and kept in cages)
Cats (Felis catus)
Chickens and ducks subject to § 66-12
Cows (Bos taurus), beef and dairy, subject to § 66-11
Dogs (Canis familiarius), except dingoes
Frogs (Salientia)
Goats (Capra hircus), subject to § 66-11
Goldfish and carp (Cyprinidae)
Guinea pigs (Cavia cutleri)
Hamsters (Cricetus and Mesocricetus)
Horses and ponies (Equus caballus), subject to § 66-11
Lizards (Sauria), except those listed under animals prohibited in the Borough
Mice, white (Mus musculus)
Swans, geese, turkeys, guinea fowl and pigeons kept for show or racing, subject to § 66-11
Rabbits, restricted to European-type rabbits (Oryctolagus cuninculus), commonly kept as pets or livestock
Rats, white (Rattus norvegicus)
Salamanders (any tailed amphibian)
Sheep (Ovis aries), subject to § 66-11
Snakes, nonpoisonous and native to the Borough of Jenkintown
Toads (Salientia)
Tropical fish, limited to those customarily maintained in a household aquarium, except piranhas
Turtles (Chelonia)
No person is permitted to maintain, keep or possess within the Borough of Jenkintown any of the following animals, which classification shall be broadly construed:
All poisonous animals including rear-fanged snakes
Apes: chimpanzees (Pan), gibbons (Hylobates), gorillas (Gorilla), orangutans (Pongo) and siamangs (Symphalangus)
Baboons (Papio, mandrillus)
Bears (Ursidae)
Bison (Bison bison)
Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus)
Constrictor snakes three feet in length or more
Coyotes (Canis latrans)
Crocodilians (Crocodilia) 30 inches in length or more
Deer (Cervidae), includes all members of the deer family, for example, white-tailed deer, elk, antelopes, moose
Elephants (Elephas and Loxodonta)
Game cocks, i.e., fighting birds
Hippopotamuses (Hippopotamidae)
Hyenas (Hyaenidae)
Jaguars (Panthera onca)
Leopards (Panthera pardus)
Lions (Panthera leo)
Lynxes (Lynx)
Monkeys, old-world (Cercopithecidae)
Ostriches (Struthio)
Piranha fish (Characidae)
Pumas (Felis concolor), also known as cougars, mountain lions and painters
Rhinoceroses (Rhinocerotidae)
Sharks (class Chondrichthyes)
Snow leopards (Panthera uncia)
Swine (Suidae)
Tigers (Panthera tigris)
Wolves (Canis lupus)
A. 
No person other than a registered veterinary in the course of his professional duties is permitted to maintain, keep or possess within the Borough of Jenkintown any animal not specifically mentioned in § 66-3 hereof unless application for a permit shall have been made by such person to the Officer and a permit shall have been issued therefor. Among such animals for which a permit may be issued by the Officer are the following:
Coatimundis (Nasua)
Crocodilians (Crocodilia) under 30 inches in length, includes baby alligators and caimans
Eagles (Aquila and Haliaeetus), subject to state and federal law
Falcons (Falconidae), subject to state and federal law
Foxes (Vulpes and Urocyon)
Iguanas (Iguanidae)
Jaguarundis (Herpailurus)
Kinkajous (Potos)
Margays (Felis tigrina)
Monkeys: white-throated capuchins and other Cebus monkeys; night monkeys or douroucoulis (Aotes): Marmosets (Callimico), Callithrix and Leontocebus; squirrel monkeys (Saimiri) and woolly monkeys (Logothrix)
Ocelots (Felis paradalis)
Otters (Lutrinae)
Raccoons (Procyon)
Skunks (Mephitinae)
Snakes, nonpoisonous and not native to the Borough of Jenkintown, including pythons and boas under three feet in length
B. 
The application for a permit shall have attached thereto a registered veterinarian's health certificate for each animal to be covered by the permit, shall be verified by an affidavit and shall set forth the following:
(1) 
The type and number of animals to be covered by the permit.
(2) 
The purpose of keeping such animals.
(3) 
The period for which the permit is requested.
(4) 
A description of the quarters in which the animals will be kept, including plans and specifications thereof where appropriate.
(5) 
The circumstances, if any, under which the animals will be removed from their quarters.
(6) 
Biographical information about the applicant and any other person to be placed in charge of the animals, with particular emphasis on the knowledge of such persons about the animals in question and the experience of such persons in handling the animals in question.
(7) 
Such additional information as the Officer may require.
[Amended 4-28-1980 by Ord. No. 80-13]
A. 
The Borough Council of Jenkintown shall appoint an Animal Control Officer. This person may be the Borough Manager. The Officer shall have the power to review or cause to be reviewed each application for a permit and may either approve or reject such application or require modification of the application. When the Officer has approved the application, the Borough Manager shall issue the permit. The permit shall be personal and not transferable and shall be issued for a calendar year or part thereof. The Borough Manager and the Officer shall also have the power to revoke the permit.
B. 
The Officer shall also have the power, with the consent of the Borough Council, to make such rules and regulations as he shall deem necessary to carry out the purpose of this article and, on request of the Borough Manager, to determine whether any person is violating any provisions of this article or the rules and regulations adopted hereunder. In making such determination, the Officer shall consider the following standards:
(1) 
All animals and animal quarters shall be kept in a clean and sanitary condition. Adequate ventilation shall be maintained.
(2) 
Permittee shall use every reasonable precaution to assure that the animals are not teased, abused, mistreated, annoyed, tormented or in any manner made to suffer by any means.
(3) 
Animals which are enemies by nature or are temperamentally unsuited shall not be quartered together or so near each other as to cause the animals fear or to be abused, tormented or annoyed.
(4) 
The permittee shall maintain the premises so as to eliminate offensive odors or excessive noise.
(5) 
The permittee shall not permit any condition causing disturbance of the peace and quiet of his neighbors.
(6) 
Animals must be maintained in quarters so constructed as to prevent their escape. The permittee assumes full responsibility for recapturing any animal that escapes from his premises. The permittee shall make adequate provisions and safeguards to protect the public from the animals.
(7) 
Every person shall conform to all present and future laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the United States of America, the ordinances of the Borough of Jenkintown and the rules and regulations that may accompany this article in any way connected with animals, specifically including anticruelty laws.
The applicant for any permit hereunder shall, at the time of his application, pay to the Borough of Jenkintown the following fees:
A. 
Pet shop or zoological garden: $25 for each calendar year or part thereof; there shall be no charge for a traveling educational exhibit maintained by an established humane society or zoological garden.
B. 
Menagerie: $50, plus an additional $10 per day for the duration of the permit.
C. 
All other applicants: $2.50 for the first calendar year or part thereof, renewable thereafter for a fee of $1 each calendar year or part thereof.
The Borough Council may approve a permit for a permanent zoological garden or a menagerie, limiting the latter to no more than one month in any one calendar year, which includes animals otherwise prohibited under § 66-4 hereof, provided that:
A. 
The Council is satisfied that the applicant and all other persons placed in charge of such animals are experts in their knowledge of care and handling of such animals.
B. 
The highest standards are applied in safeguarding the public and no human being lives or resides within 100 feet of the quarters in which the animals will be kept.
C. 
The applicant provides the Council with a certificate of public liability insurance in a form and amount satisfactory to Council, issued by a carrier satisfactory to Council.
[Amended 4-28-1980 by Ord. No. 80-13; 1-30-1989 by Ord. No. 89-2]
Any person who violates any provisions of this article or any of the rules and regulations made pursuant hereto shall be liable for each offense upon conviction before any Magisterial District Judge to a fine of not more than $600, together with the costs of prosecution, or to imprisonment in the county jail for a period not exceeding 30 days, or both, and each day's failure to comply with any such provision shall constitute a separate violation. In addition, the Officer may institute any appropriate action or proceeding, whether by legal process or otherwise, to restrain, correct or abate a continuing violation of any provision of this article or any rules and regulations made pursuant hereto.
[Added 4-28-1980 by Ord. No. 80-13]
Nothing in this article shall be construed to restrict or regulate the keeping of dogs or maintaining of kennels in any way inconsistent with the provisions of Article II of this chapter and 3 P.S. § 460-101 et seq.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: 3 P.S. § 460-101 et seq., the Dog Law of 1965, was repealed by 1982, Dec. 7, P.L. 784, No. 225, § 1205(a), effective Jan. 1, 1983. See now 3 P.S. § 459-101 et seq.
[Added 4-28-1980 by Ord. No. 80-13; amended 11-25-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-9]
The keeping or maintaining of any farm animal, as indicated in §§ 66-3 and 66-5, shall be permitted only on land of sufficient area so that there shall be 40,000 square feet for each animal with an additional 20,000 square feet required for each additional animal. There shall also be provided a pen or enclosure of at least 1,600 square feet for each animal, with 400 square feet of pen or enclosure required for each additional animal. Within the pen there must be provided a stable or similar roofed enclosure having an area of at least 100 square feet for each animal to be held therein. Any such pen or enclosure shall be situated not less than 100 feet from any street or other property line. It shall be a nuisance for swans, geese, turkeys, guinea fowl and/or pigeons to be kept and maintained in a manner which produces noise, odor, attracts flies and/or rodents, or is considered a concern to public health.
[Added 11-25-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-9]
The following restrictions are placed on the keeping and maintaining of chickens and ducks as provided for in § 66-3:
A. 
It shall be unlawful for any person to permit or allow any chicken or duck to run at large within Borough limits.
B. 
No more than five birds shall be kept on a property less than one acre.
C. 
No more than 10 birds shall be kept on a property greater than one acre.
D. 
All birds shall be provided with a shelter having a roof and at least three enclosed sides and shall be contained within a fenced area. A building permit shall be required for the shelter.
E. 
Shelters shall have minimal dimensions of four square feet per bird.
F. 
All shelters must be located at least five feet from any property line and 10 feet from any dwelling.
G. 
No shelter shall be located closer to an adjacent property dwelling than the dwelling of the owner of the shelter.
H. 
Fenced areas surrounding shelters must contain at least 10 square feet per bird.
I. 
Shelters and fenced areas surrounding shelters shall only be located in the rear yard or side yard of a property.
J. 
In the case of keeping chickens, no male birds (roosters) may be kept. All birds shall be females (hens).
K. 
Public slaughtering is prohibited.
L. 
Commercial slaughtering is prohibited.
M. 
The sale of chickens and/or ducks for commercial purposes is prohibited.
N. 
It shall be a nuisance for chickens and/or ducks to be kept and maintained in a manner which produces noise, odor, attracts flies and/or rodents, or is considered a concern to public health.
[Adopted 4-28-1980 by Ord. No. 80-6]
It shall be unlawful for any person who owns or keeps any dog to intentionally or negligently permit such dog to run at large in the Borough of Jenkintown in violation of the provisions of the Dog Law of 1965 (3 P.S. § 460-101 et seq.). [2]Any dog running at large in violation of said law shall be subject to seizure, detention and disposal as provided therein.
[1]
Editor's Note: Original §§ 66-12 through 66-18 were renumbered as §§ 66-13 through 66-19 11-25-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-9.
[2]
Editor's Note: 3 P.S. § 460-101 et seq., the Dog Law of 1965, was repealed by 1982, Dec. 7, P.L. 784, No. 225, § 1205(a), effective Jan. 1, 1983. See now 3 P.S. § 459-101 et seq.
A. 
Any resident of the Borough may request the Borough Police Department to warn any person who shall own, harbor or keep in custody any dog which disturbs the peace by barking, howling or making other loud noise to the annoyance and discomfort of persons in the Borough of Jenkintown.
B. 
A warning by the police shall consist of delivery of a copy of this article at the residence in the Borough of Jenkintown of any such owner, keeper or custodian. In the absence of any such warning made by said police, the complaining person may request the Manager of the Borough of Jenkintown to provide such warning.
C. 
Any such request shall be in writing and shall identify and specify the residence of the owner, keeper or custodian of the dog or other animal and shall identify and specify the residence of the person making the request. Upon receipt of such request, the Borough Manager shall mail a copy of this article to the person identified as the owner, keeper or custodian of the dog or other animal.
D. 
A violation of this article shall be deemed to have occurred upon a second or subsequent violation of § 66-13 above after the date of delivery of the warning.
It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog to permit said dog running at large to injure any human being by biting, jumping on, knocking down or attacking said human being.
No person owning, harboring, keeping or in charge of any dog shall cause, suffer or allow such dog 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 on any public property whatsoever, or on any private property without the permission of the owner of said property. The restriction in this section shall not apply to that portion of the street lying between the curblines, which shall be used to curb such dog under the following conditions:
A. 
The person who so curbs such dog shall immediately remove all feces deposited by such dog by any sanitary and reasonable manner.
B. 
The feces removed from the aforementioned designated area shall be disposed of in a sanitary manner by the person owning, harboring, keeping or in charge of any dog curbed in accordance with the provisions of this article.
It shall be unlawful to keep more than four dogs six months of age or older on any premises, regardless of the number of owners; provided, however, that this section shall not apply to any premises for which a kennel license has been obtained pursuant to the Dog Law of 1965 (3 P.S. § 460-208 et seq.).[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: 3 P.S. § 460-101 et seq., the Dog Law of 1965, was repealed by 1982, Dec. 7, P.L. 784, No. 225, § 1205(a), effective Jan. 1, 1983. See now 3 P.S. § 459-206 for statutory provisions relating to kennel licenses.
[Amended 1-30-1989 by Ord. No. 89-2]
Any person who shall be convicted before any Magisterial District Judge of violating or failing to comply with the provisions of this article shall be punishable by a fine of not more than $600, together with costs of prosecution, or by imprisonment in the county jail for a term not to exceed 30 days, or both. The continuation of such violation for each successive day shall constitute a separate offense, and the person or persons allowing or permitting the continuation of a violation may be punished as provided above for each separate offense.