Montgomery, New Jersey

§ 5-1 DEFINITIONS.

KENNEL

Shall mean any establishment wherein or whereon the business of boarding or selling dogs or breeding dogs for sale is carried on, except a pet shop.

§ 5-2.1 License and Registration Required for All Dogs.

a. Any person residing in the Township who shall own, keep or harbor a dog of licensing age shall, in the month of January, apply for and procure from the Office of the Township Clerk a license and official metal registration tag for each such dog so owned, kept or harbored, and shall place upon each such dog a collar or harness with the registration tag securely fastened thereto. In the event such dog shall be newly acquired, or in the event that after acquisition a dog shall attain licensing age or develop a permanent set of teeth, the initial application for license and registration tag shall be made within 10 days after such acquisition, age attainment or development of teeth, as the case may be.

§ 5-2.3 License and Registration Tags; Fees; Forms.

a. The persons applying for the license and registration tag shall pay a fee of $18.80 for the license and the sum of $1 for the registration for each dog. License and registration tags and subsequent renewals shall expire on January 31 in each year unless extended by resolution of the Township Committee. If application shall not be made within the time specified by this section, there shall be a one-time late fee of $25.

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f. In addition to the license fee referred to in paragraph a above, an additional fee of $3 shall be paid by any person applying for the license with respect to any dog of reproductive age which has not had its reproductive capacity permanently altered through sterilization. Any person claiming to be exempt from such fee shall provide a copy of a veterinarian’s certification of neutering. Such fee shall be collected, where applicable, with respect to licenses applied for on and after August 2, 1983.

§ 5-5 PET SHOPS AND KENNELS.

§ 5-5.1 Permit Required; Application.

a. No person shall operate or maintain a kennel, pet shop, pound, shelter or grooming establishment without first obtaining:

1. Written approval from the Board of Health showing compliance with local and State rules and regulations governing location of and sanitation of such establishments; and

2. A permit issued through the Township Clerk.

b. The application to the Township Clerk for a kennel, pet shop, pound, shelter or grooming establishment permit shall include the following:

1. Description of the premises where the establishment is located or is proposed to be located;

2. Statement of the establishment’s purpose or purposes for which it is to be maintained; and

3. Written approval of the Board of Health of the Township showing compliance with local and State rules and regulations governing the location and sanitation of such establishments.

c. All permits issued for kennel, pet shop, pound, shelter or grooming establishment shall state the purpose for which the establishment is maintained and all such permits shall expire on the last day of June of each year.

d. All permits are subject to revocation by the Township Committee upon recommendation of the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services or the Board of Health of the Township for failure to comply with the rules and regulations of the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services or of the Board of Health of the Township governing the same, or with the provisions of this chapter, after the owner of the kennel, pet shop, pound, shelter or grooming establishment has been afforded a hearing by either the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services or the Board of Health of the Township.

§ 5-5.2 Standards; Rules and Regulations.

No person shall operate or maintain a kennel, pet shop, pound, shelter or grooming establishment except in accordance with the following standards and according to the following rules and regulations:

a. No person shall locate, operate or maintain a kennel, pet shop, pound, shelter or grooming establishment so as to cause considerable noise to the annoyance and discomfort of surrounding neighbors such that their rest is broken and their sleep interrupted, and/or the reasonable use and enjoyment of their property is disturbed. All kennels, pet shops, pounds, shelters and grooming establishments shall be equipped with sound proofing sufficient to meet this requirement.

b. At no time should any part of a residence be used as a kennel. Kennels in existence before July 1, 1999, shall not be subject to this restriction.

c. Buildings used for kennels, pet shops, pounds, shelters and grooming establishments shall comply in all respects with the Building and Zoning Codes of the Township of Montgomery. Nothing contained herein obviates the need for anyone seeking to establish a kennel, pet shop, pound, shelter and/or grooming establishment from obtaining any applicable development approvals that are required by Chapter 16 of this Code.

d. Facilities for the humane destruction of dogs or other animals and the disposal of carcasses shall be approved by the Board of Health.

e. The location, construction, arrangement, and operation of a kennel, pet shop, pound, shelter or grooming establishment shall comply with the requirements of N.J.A.C. 8:23A-1.3 and N.J.A.C. 8:23A-1.8, as may be amended and supplemented.

§ 5-5.3 Application Fees.

An application for a permit to maintain a kennel, pet shop, pound, shelter or grooming establishment shall be completed and submitted to the Clerk of Montgomery Township by each person operating or maintaining such a facility. The application fee shall be as follows:

The annual license fee for a kennel providing accommodations for 10 or fewer dogs shall be $50 and for more than 10 dogs $75. The annual license fee for a pet shop or grooming establishment shall be $50. No fee shall be charged for a shelter or pound.