A2731

An Act concerning registration of dogs and certain cats, amending P.L.1941, c.151, and supplementing Title 4 of the Revised Statutes.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. (New section) Any municipality may authorize in writing a licensed kennel, pet shop, shelter, pound, or veterinarian, or a pet grooming establishment, to accept, process, and issue dog registrations and tags for any dog within the jurisdiction of the municipality. The municipality shall establish standards and requirements for the issuing of registrations and tags for dogs, and the collection and remittance of fees for the registrations and tags by authorized and approved licensed kennels, pet shops, shelters, pounds, or veterinarians, or pet grooming establishments, including compliance with section 1 of P.L.1973, c.263 (C.4:19-15.2a), section 3 of P.L.1941, c.151 (C.4:19-15.3), section 1 of P.L.1983, c.172 (C.4:19-15.3b), section 1 of P.L.1983, c.181 (C.4:19-15.3c), and section 11 of P.L.1941, c.152 (C.4:19-15.11).

2. (New section) a. A licensed kennel, pet shop, shelter, pound, or veterinarian, or a pet grooming establishment, after receiving the approval of any municipality in writing, as provided in section 1 of this act, may solicit, accept, and process dog registrations and tags for any dog within the jurisdiction of the approving municipality. Each licensed kennel, pet shop, shelter, pound, or veterinarian, or pet grooming establishment, providing this service shall forward to the appropriate municipality as soon as possible after registering a dog, any applications, fees, and other required paperwork. The licensed kennel, pet shop, shelter, pound, or veterinarian, or pet grooming establishment, may also register cats if the approving municipality requires licenses for cats.

b. Each municipality approving a licensed kennel, pet shop, shelter, pound, or veterinarian, or pet grooming establishment, to provide the service authorized pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall take the steps necessary to ensure that the dog, and where applicable, the cat, is properly registered, the proper inoculations have been performed, and the fees are properly collected and distributed, as provided pursuant to section 11 of P.L.1941, c.152 (C.4:19-15.11).

c. For the purposes of section 11 of P.L.1941, c.152, any fees collected by the kennel, pet shop, shelter, pound, veterinarian or pet grooming establishment and forwarded to the municipality shall be considered collected pursuant to section 3 of P.L.1941, c.152 (C.4:19-15.3).

3. Section 2 of P.L.1941, c.151 (C.4:19-15.2) is amended to read as follows:

2. Any person who shall own, keep or harbor a dog of licensing age shall annually or every third year, in accordance with a 3-year dog license or renewal thereof issued under subsection b. of section 12 of this act (C. 4:19-15.12b), apply for and procure from the clerk of the municipality or other official , or an approved licensed veterinarian, or approved owner or operator of a kennel, pet shop, shelter, pound, or pet grooming establishment, or employee thereof, designated by the governing body thereof to license dogs in the municipality in which [he] the dog owner resides, 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.

(cf: P.L.1982, c.203, s.1)

4. Section 1 of P.L.1973, c. 263 (C.4:19-15.2a) is amended to read as follows:

1. No municipal clerk or other official , or approved licensed veterinarian, or approved owner or operator of a kennel, pet shop, shelter, pound, or pet grooming establishment, or employee thereof, designated by the governing body of any municipality to license dogs therein shall grant any such license and official metal registration tag for any dog unless the owner thereof provides evidence that the dog to be licensed and registered has been inoculated with a rabies vaccine of a type approved by and administered in accordance with the recommendations of the United States Department of Agriculture and the United States Department of Health [, Education, and Welfare] and Human Services, or has been certified exempt as provided by rules and regulations of the State Department of Health and Senior Services. Such vaccination shall be repeated at intervals as provided by [regulations of] the State Department of Health and Senior Services rules and regulations, and shall be administered by a duly licensed veterinarian or by such other veterinarian permitted by law to [do the same] provide the required vaccination. The State Department of Health and Senior Services shall [promulgate] adopt and implement rules and regulations providing for the recognized duration of immunity, interval of inoculation, certificate of vaccination, certificate of exemption, and such other matters related to this act.

(cf: P.L.1973, c. 263, s. 1)

5. Section 1 of P.L.1983, c.172 (C.4:19-15.3b) is amended to read as follows:

1. a. In addition to the fee charged pursuant to section 3 of P.L.1941, c. 151 (C. 4:19-15.3) and forwarded to the Department of Health pursuant to section 11 of P.L.1941, c. 151 (C. 4:19-15.11), any person applying for the license and registration tag pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1941, c. 151 (C. 4:19-15.2) shall pay a fee of $3.00 for any dog of reproductive age which has not had its reproductive capacity permanently altered through sterilization.

b. All fees collected pursuant to the provisions of this section and section [5 of this amendatory and supplementary act] 4 of P.L.1983, c.172 (C.4:19A-3) shall be forwarded to the State Treasurer, for deposit in the "Animal Population Control Fund" created pursuant to section 7 of this act.

(cf: P.L.1983, c.172, s.1)

6. This act shall take effect on the 180th day following enactment.

STATEMENT

The bill permits licensed kennels, pet shops, shelters, pounds, or veterinarians, or pet grooming establishments, to solicit, accept, and process dog registrations and tags for any dog, within the jurisdiction of a municipality, but only if the kennel, pet shop, shelter, pound, veterinarian, or pet grooming establishment has received approval in writing from the municipality to do so. The bill also permits cats to be licensed in this manner if the municipality requires cats to be licensed.