[Adopted 5-5-1953 by Ord. No. 81]
[Amended 10-6-1997 by Ord. No. 993-97]
A.Â
No dog shall run at large. The owner of any dog shall be responsible to restrain said animal within the boundaries of his/her place of residence unless on leash in compliance with Section 121-8 infra. The owner of said animal shall be responsible if the dog runs at large without regard to whether said owner was negligent or otherwise at fault. The intention of this section is to impose strict liability on each dog owner in the Township of Middle. No intervening cause shall constitute a defense to any violation of this section.
B.Â
Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit
the use of properly licensed hunting dogs for hunting purposes in
the rural or hunting areas of the Township, provided that said owner
holds a valid State of New Jersey Hunting License.
[Amended 12-3-1959 by Ord. No. 147; 12-20-1979 by Ord. No. 382-79; 10-1-1981 by Ord. No. 421-81; 6-15-1983 by Ord. No. 457-83; 4-5-1990 by Ord. No. 720-90; 5-7-2007 by Ord. No. 1261-07; 12-15-2014 by Ord. No. 1488-14]
A.Â
Every person
who owns or possesses one or more dogs within the corporate limits
of the Township of Middle shall procure a one-year or three-year license
from the Clerk of the Township of Middle and pay the sum of $7 or
$21 for each dog as hereinafter provided. The application for the
license shall set forth, in writing, the name, sex, breed, age, color
and markings of the dog for which the license is to be issued.
[Amended 12-15-2014 by Ord. No. 1488-14]
Licenses granted under this article shall date
from January 1 of each year and must be renewed prior to February
1 of the following year, and the full fee shall be paid for any part
of the year and is nonrefundable.
Every dog so licensed shall have a collar about
its neck with a metal tag attached thereto, bearing the number of
the license. Duplicate tags may be issued only upon proof of loss
of the original tag and upon the payment of the additional fee of
$0.25.
[Amended 4-5-1990 by Ord. No. 720-90]
In addition to the dogs enumerated in N.J.S.A.
4:19-15.16, dogs found running at large contrary to the provisions
of this article shall be seized and impounded and thereafter redeemed
or disposed of as provided by law by the person appointed for that
purpose by the Township Committee.
The Township Committee of the Township of Middle
shall, at its discretion, appoint such person as it may deem necessary
to enforce and carry out the provisions of the chapter, and such appointee
shall have the power and authority to seize, maintain, destroy and
otherwise dispose of dogs running at large within the Township of
Middle in a manner agreeable to law and in accordance with the provisions
of this article.
No person shall keep, harbor or maintain any
dog which habitually cries, barks, howls or otherwise disturbs the
peace.
No person owning, possessing or harboring any
dog shall suffer or permit it to be in the public streets or any public
place in the Township of Middle unless such dog is accompanied by
a person over the age of 12 years and is securely confined and controlled
by an adequate leash not more than five feet in length; provided,
nevertheless, that properly licensed hunting dogs under the control
and supervision of their owner may be used for hunting purposes in
the rural or hunting areas within the Township.
No person owning, keeping or harboring a dog
shall permit it or suffer it to do any damage to any person or property.
[Amended 4-5-1990 by Ord. No. 720-90; 5-17-1999 by Ord. No. 1038-99]
Any person who shall hinder or interfere with
any officer or agent in the performance of his duty under this article
or who shall use a license tag on a dog for which it was not issued
or who owns or possesses a dog without complying with the provisions
of this article shall be deemed guilty of a violation of the provisions
of this article and, upon conviction thereof, shall be liable to a
penalty of not less than $5 nor more than $50, for each offense, except
that for the first offense, the penalty shall be not less than $1
nor more than $50. Any person who owns or possesses a dog which kills
or substantially injures any domestic and/or farm animal while off
leash shall be subject to a fine of not less than $250 nor more than
$1,000 for each such domestic and/or farm animal damaged.
