[Adopted 3-14-1990 by Ord. No. 4-90 (Ch. 100 of the 1969
Code)]
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
Any person or agency designated or certified by the State
of New Jersey to enforce the provisions of this article.[1]
Any member of the domestic feline species; male, female or
neutered.
Any cat which has attained the age of six months or which
possesses a set of permanent teeth.
[Amended 9-18-2002 by Ord. No. 14-02]
Any room or group of rooms, cage or exhibition pen, not part
of a kennel, wherein cats for sale are kept or displayed.
The Board of Health of the Township of Morris, or any designated
representative thereof.
Rendered permanently incapable of reproduction as certified
by a licensed veterinarian.
When applied to the proprietorship of a cat, includes 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 person that regularly feeds, shelters
or cares for a cat shall be deemed the owner of that cat.
[Amended 9-18-2002 by Ord. No. 14-02]
Any individual, corporation, partnership, organization or
institution commonly recognized by law as a unit.
Any cat of licensing age without a current registration tag,
visible tattoo or other bodily identification marking approved by
the Animal Control Officer or any cat which the Animal Control Officer
has reason to believe is a stray cat.
[Amended 9-18-2002 by Ord. No. 14-02]
A.
Vaccination and license requirements. No person shall own, keep,
harbor or maintain any cat over six months of age within the Township
of Morris 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 research facility or a veterinary establishment
where cats are received or kept for diagnostic, medical, surgical
or other treatments or licensed animal shelters, pounds, kennels or
pet shops.[1]
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.
C.
Vaccination certificate. A certificate 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 Board of Health
of the Township of Morris 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 licensing authority a license and official registration
tag with license number or a registration sleeve 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 number shall include, but are not limited
to, breakaway or elastic collars. License tags or sleeves are not
transferable.
B.
Time for applying for license. The owner of any newly acquired cat
of licensing age or of any cat which attains licensing age shall make
application for a license tag or sleeve for such cat within 10 days
after such acquisition or age attainment. This requirement will not
apply to a nonresident keeping a cat within the Township of Morris
for no longer than 90 days.
C.
Cats brought into jurisdiction. Any person who shall bring in or
cause to be brought in to the Township of Morris any cat licensed
in another state for the current year, and bearing registration tag
or sleeve, and who shall keep the same or permit the same to be kept
within the Township of Morris for a period of more than 90 days shall
immediately apply for a license and registration tag or sleeve for
each such cat. Any person who shall bring in or cause to be brought
in to the Township of Morris any unlicensed cat and who shall keep
the same or permit the same to be kept within the Township of Morris
for a period of more than 10 days shall immediately apply for a license
and registration tag or sleeve for each such cat.
D.
Application; contents; preservation of information. The application
shall state the breed, sex, age, color and markings of the cat for
which license and registration are sought and whether it is of a longhaired
or shorthaired variety; 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
local official designated to license cats in the municipality.
E.
License forms and tags. License forms and official tags or sleeves
shall be furnished by the licensing authority and shall be numbered
serially and shall bear the year of issuance and the name of the municipality.
F.
Evidence of inoculation with rabies vaccine or certification of exemption; requirement for license. No licensing authority shall grant such license and official registration tag or sleeve 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 § 514-25 of this article. The rabies inoculation shall be administered by a duly licensed veterinarian permitted by law to do the same.
G.
License fee schedule. A license shall be issued after payment of
a fee of $15 for each cat that is spayed or neutered and a fee of
$18 for each cat that is not spayed or neutered. Persons who fail
to obtain a license as required within the time period specified in
this section shall be subject to a late fee of $20.
[Amended 5-17-2006 by Ord. No. 11-06; 5-16-2007 by Ord. No. 16-07; 7-21-2010 by Ord. No. 12-10]
H.
Fees; renewals; expiration date of license. Licenses from another
municipality shall be accepted. The person applying for the license
and registration tag and/or sleeve shall pay the fee fixed or authorized.
The fee for the renewal of the license and registration tag or sleeve
shall be the same as for the original, and said license, registration
tag or sleeve and renewal thereof shall expire on January 1 in the
following year. Only one license and registration tag or sleeve shall
be required in the licensing year for any cat in the Township of Morris.
Any valid New Jersey license tag or sleeve issued by a New Jersey
municipality shall be accepted by this municipality as evidence of
compliance.
I.
Loss of license. If a license tag or sleeve has been misplaced or
lost, the licensing authority may issue a duplicate license and/or
registration tag or sleeve for the particular cat for a fee of $0.50.
J.
Proof of license. Proof of cat 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
other authorized person.
K.
Interfering with persons performing duties under this article. No
person shall hinder, molest or interfere with anyone authorized or
empowered to perform any duty under this article.
L.
Disposition of fees collected. License fees and other moneys collected
or received under the provisions of this article shall be forwarded
to the Treasurer of the Township of Morris and shall be placed in
a special account separate from any of the other accounts of the Township
of Morris and shall be used for the following purposes only: collecting,
keeping and disposing of cats liable to seizure, for local prevention
and control of rabies, providing antirabies treatment under the direction
of the Board of Health for any person known or suspected to have been
exposed to rabies and for administering the provisions of this article.
Any unexpended 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 the third 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.
[Amended 9-18-2002 by Ord. No. 14-02]
A.
Seizure. The Animal Control Officer shall take into custody and impound:
(1)
Any cat running at large in the Township or off the premises of the
owner causing injury to a person or other domestic animal, or creating
a threat to public health, safety or welfare, as deemed by the health
authority or Animal Control Officer.
(2)
Any cat believed to be a stray by the Animal Control Officer.
B.
If any cat seized wears a current registration tag or other proper
identification marking, the Animal Control Officer shall serve a notice
in writing to the owner. The notice shall state that the cat has been
seized and will be liable to be placed for adoption or euthanized
if not claimed within seven days after the service of the notice.
C.
Placing for adoption or euthanization. When any cat so seized has
been detained for seven days after notice, or has been detained for
seven days after seizure when no notice has been given because of
lack of name and address of owner, and if the owner or person keeping
or harboring the cat has not claimed the cat and paid all expenses
incurred by reason of its detention, the ownership of the cat shall
transfer to the agency providing animal control services to the Township
of Morris.
D.
The owner shall be responsible for all fees incurred by reason of
its detention. Such fees must be paid to the impoundment facility
prior to the release of the cat.
E.
If an animal is adopted, at the time of adoption, the right of ownership
in the animal shall transfer to the new owner. No cat or other animal
so caught and detained or procured, obtained, sent or brought to a
pound or shelter shall be sold or otherwise made available for the
purpose of experimentation.
[Added 9-18-2002 by Ord. No. 14-02]
Any cat causing the destruction of private or public property
or injury to a person or other domestic animal, creating a threat
to public health, safely or welfare, causing damage to any lawn, shrubbery,
flowers, grounds, trees or otherwise interfering with the enjoyment
of property shall be declared a nuisance.
[Amended 9-18-2002 by Ord. No. 14-02]
No person shall keep, harbor or maintain more than six cats
of licensing age at any one time in any residence or upon its grounds,
or in any business establishment or upon its grounds. Any person who,
on the effective date of this section, is the owner of a lawfully
licensed cat in excess of six may continue to keep, care for, own
and maintain all said licensed cats but may not replace any such cat
in excess of six. This shall not apply to duly licensed veterinary
establishments.
[Amended 9-18-2002 by Ord. No. 14-02]
Any person who violates or fails or refuses to comply with this
article shall be liable for a penalty not less than $5 and not more
than $500. Such penalties shall be subject to enforcement in accordance
with Title 26 of the New Jersey Statutes, as the same may now or be
hereafter amended.