Any person who keeps or operates or proposes to establish a
kennel, a pet shop, a shelter or a pound shall apply to the Township
Department of Health for a license entitling him to keep or operate
such establishment.
A. 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 Township, showing compliance with the
local and state rules and regulations governing location of and sanitation
at such establishments.
(1) Any facility constructed
or renovated after January 1995 shall first submit plan(s) to the
Department of Health.
(2) These plan(s) must show the
layout of all rooms, areas, pens, cages, etc., and equipment and utilities
necessary to comply with the standards as set forth in N.J.A.C. 8:23A
et seq.
(3) These plans must be completely
drawn to scale by at least a draftsman and contain all information
requested by the Health Officer.
(4) Once a satisfactory plan
is submitted the plans must be approved or denied within 30 days.
If denied, the applicant shall revise said plans and resubmit them.
(5) No kennel, pet shop, shelter,
or pound shall be constructed until the plans have been approved by
the Health Officer and only constructed as approved.
B. All licenses issued for a kennel,
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 Township
Board of Health on recommendations of the State Department of Health
or the Health Department of the Township for failure to comply with
the rules and regulations of the State Department or the Board of
Health of the Township governing the same, after the owner has been
afforded a hearing by either the State Department or the Board of
Health of the Township.
C. Any person holding such license
shall not be required to secure individual licenses for dogs or cats
by such license and kept at such establishments; such licenses shall
not be transferable to another owner or different premises.
No animal kept in a kennel, pet shop, shelter or pound shall
be permitted off such premises, except on a leash or in a humane carrier
or other means of safe control.
The Township Board of Health shall have the power to appoint
an Animal Control Officer, whose duty it shall be to enforce the provisions
of this chapter. The Township Board of Health shall also have the
power to appoint one or more persons, to be known as "dog catchers,"
who may impound unlicensed dogs running at large in violation of the
provisions of this chapter. In addition, the Health Officer and his
designees of the Township of Union shall be empowered to enforce the
provisions of this chapter.
The Animal Control Officer of the Township shall take into custody
and impound, or cause to be taken into custody and impounded, and
thereafter destroyed or disposed of as provided in this section:
A. Any dog off the premises of the
owner or of the person keeping or harboring said dog, which said official
or his agent, or agents, have reason to believe is a stray dog.
B. Any dog off the premises of the
owner or of the person keeping or harboring said dog without a current
registration tag on his collar.
C. Seized dogs.
(1) Any female dog in season
off the premises of the owner or of the person keeping or harboring
said dog.
(2) If any dog so seized wears
a collar or harness having inscribed thereon or attached thereto the
name and address of any person or a registration tag, or the owner
or the person keeping or harboring said dog is known, the Animal Control
Officer shall forthwith serve on the person whose address is given
on the collar or on the owner or on the person keeping or harboring
said dog, if known, a notice in writing stating that the dog has been
seized and will be liable to be disposed of or destroyed if not claimed
within seven days after the service of the notice.
(3) A notice under this section
may be served either by delivering it to the person on whom it is
to be served or by leaving it at the person's usual, or last known
place of abode or to the address given on the collar.
(4) When any dog so seized has
been detained for seven days after notice, when notice can be given
as above set forth, or has been detained for seven days after seizure,
when notice has not been and cannot be given as above set forth, and
if the owner or person keeping or harboring said dog has not claimed
said dog and paid all expenses incurred by reason of its detention,
including maintenance not exceeding $20 per day, and if the dog is
unlicensed at the time of the seizure and the owner or person keeping
or harboring said dog has not produced a license and registration
tag for said dog, the Animal Control Officer may cause the dog to
be destroyed in a manner causing as little pain as possible. In such
a case, the owner shall pay to the Township a euthanasia fee as invoiced
by servicing veterinarian.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 550, General
Provisions, Board of Health, Art. I)]
Any person 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 which he may lawfully seize and
impound when such officer is in immediate pursuit of such dog or dogs,
except upon the premises of the owner of the dog, if said owner is
present and forbids the same.
No person shall hinder, molest or interfere with anyone authorized
or empowered to perform any duty under this article.
No person owning, keeping or harboring any dog shall suffer
or permit it to run at large upon the public streets or in any public
park, or in any public building, or in any other public place within
the Township of Union in the County of Union.
No person owning, keeping or harboring any dog shall suffer
or permit it to be upon the public streets or in any of the public
places of the Township of Union, unless such dog is accompanied by
a person over the age of 12 years and if securely confined and controlled
by an adequate leash not more than six feet long.
No person owning, keeping or harboring a dog shall permit or
suffer it to do any injury or to do any damage to any lawn, shrubbery,
flowers, grounds or property.
No exotic animals are allowed in municipal parks.