[Adopted 12-20-2022 by Ord. No. O-22-26]
For purposes of this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ANIMAL RESCUE ORGANIZATION
A nonprofit organization incorporated under the law of any state and exempt from federal taxation under § 501(c)(3) of the federal Internal Revenue Code, as amended, and whose principal purpose is the prevention of cruelty to animals and whose principal activity is to rescue sick, injured, abused, neglected, unwanted, abandoned, orphaned, lost, or displaced animals and to adopt them to good homes. "Animal rescue organization" does not include any entity that breeds animals or that 1) is located on the same premises as; 2) has any personnel in common with; 3) obtains, in exchange for payment or any other form of compensation, dogs or cats from; or 4) facilitates the sale of dogs or cats obtained from a person that breeds animals.
ANIMAL SHELTER
A facility, whether located in or outside the State of New Jersey, that is operated by or under contract with any state or a political subdivision of a state for the purpose of impounding or caring for seized, stray, homeless, abandoned, unwanted, or surrendered animals.
RETAIL PET STORE
A commercial establishment that sells or offers for sale animals on its premises at retail.
SELL or OFFER FOR SALE
To display for sale or to exchange for consideration, adopt out, barter, auction, trade, lease, or otherwise transfer.
A. 
It is unlawful for a retail pet store, as defined in § 82-42, to sell or offer for sale a dog or a cat.
B. 
Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a retail pet store from providing space to an animal rescue organization or an animal shelter, as those terms are defined in § 82-42, to publicly showcase dogs or cats available for adoption.
A retail pet store that violates § 82-43 shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by a fine of $500. Each sale or offer for sale made in violation of § 82-43 shall constitute a separate violation.
If any provision of this article is determined to be invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, then such provisions shall be severed, and the remaining provisions of this article shall continue to be valid.