Borough of Sayreville, New Jersey
MUNICIPAL CODE ch. IX, §§ 9-13.1 to 9-13.7
9-13 UNLICENSED CATS.
9-13.1 Purpose. The Borough of Sayreville has suffered from the presence of feral cats on
residential and commercial property. These animals have been known to carry disease and
otherwise constitute a nuisance within the authority of the Borough to remedy. The goal of this
Section is to discourage the presence of these animals by prohibiting the feeding of or caring for
unlicensed cats.
(Ord. No. 122-10, § 1, 4-12-2010)
9-13.2 Prohibition. No person may own, keep, contain, possess, maintain, care for, feed, or in
any way attract or harbor any cat within the Borough of Sayreville, unless such cat is vaccinated
and licensed in accordance with the Revised General Ordinances of the Borough of Sayreville.
The provisions of this Section shall not apply to cats held in a cattery, as defined by the Revised
General Ordinances of the Borough of Sayreville, or those held by a state or federal licensed
research facility, or a veterinary establishment where cats are received or kept for diagnostic,
medical, surgical or other treatments, or licensed animal shelter, pound, kennel, pet shop, or
other similarly licensed business establishment.
(Ord. No. 122-10, § 1, 4-12-2010)
9-13.3 Unlicensed cats on smaller residential properties. Upon receipt of a complaint of
unlicensed cats on a residential property no greater than one-half ( 1/2) acre in area or upon his
own observation of same, the Borough's animal control officer shall take the following steps:
A. First complaint or observation: The animal control officer will visit the property,
document any evidence of a violation of this ordinance by photographic or other means as
appropriate. The animal control officer shall offer the property owner or manager a copy of
this section as amended and a copy of the fine schedule in effect at that time.
B. Second and subsequent complaints or observations: Upon receipt of a second or
subsequent complaint regarding the same property, the property owner or person found to
have violated this ordinance shall, upon conviction, be subject to the fines provided in
Section 9-13.5 of the Revised General Ordinances of the Borough of Sayreville. The
animal control officer shall impound any unlicensed cats off the property of the cat's owner
discovered on the premises. Any cat impounded by the animal control officer, and later
determined to be owned, but unlicensed, shall be released to the cat's owner only after all
fines are paid, the cat has been licensed, and all other fees incurred by the Borough or its
agents are paid.
(Ord. No. 122-10, § 1, 4-12-2010)
9-13.4 Unlicensed cats on commercial property and larger residential properties. Upon
receipt of a complaint of unlicensed cats on commercial or industrial property, or residential
property of greater than one-half ( 1/2) acre in area or upon his own observation of same, the
Borough's animal control officer shall provide the property owner, manager, or community
association a copy of the updated ordinance and fine schedule. The property owner or manager
will have sixty (60) days within which to develop a plan for trapping the unlicensed cats off the
property of the cat's owner, and contacting the Borough's animal control officer for removal.
After sixty (60) days the animal control officer will revisit location. If the problem persists, and
is found to be caused by a violation of Section 9-13.2 of the Revised General Ordinances of the
Borough of Sayreville, the property owner, the person responsible for management of the
property, and the person or persons found to have been feeding the unlicensed cats will, upon
conviction, be subject to the fine schedule provided in Section 9-13.5 of the Revised General
Ordinances of the Borough of Sayreville.
(Ord. No. 122-10, § 1, 4-12-2010)
9-13.5 Fine Schedule.
A. Any person, upon conviction of a violation of the provisions of this section shall be
subject to the following fines:
1. First offense . . . $100.00 fine
2. Second offense . . . 250.00 fine
3. Third and succeeding offense . . . 500.00 fine plus court summons
B. Each and every day in which a violation of any provision of this Code or any other
ordinance of the Borough exists shall constitute a separate violation.
(Ord. No. 122-10, § 1, 4-12-2010)
9-13.6 Liability for Costs. In addition to any fines provided in this section, any person found
owning, keeping, containing, possessing, maintaining, caring for, feeding, or in any way
attracting or harboring any cat without complying with the licensing, vaccination and other
requirements of the Borough of Sayreville shall, upon conviction, be responsible for any costs
incurred by the Borough to capture, collect, or otherwise impound those cats.
(Ord. No. 122-10, § 1, 4-12-2010)
9-13.7 Tampering with Traps Prohibited. No person shall release any cat from a trap utilized
by the Borough's animal control officer, his designee, or any private individual attempting to
comply with this section. Nor shall any person tamper with, steal, or destroy any such trap, or
otherwise interfere with the performance of the animal control officer's duties. Any person found
to have violated this Section 9-13.7 shall, upon conviction of the violation, be subject to one (1)
or more of the following penalties: a fine not exceeding two thousand ($2,000.00) dollars, or
imprisonment in the county jail for a period not exceeding ninety (90) days, or to a period of
community service not exceeding ninety (90) days.
(Ord. No. 122-10, § 1, 4-12-2010)