Perth Amboy Code of Ordinances Chapter 199 (Dogs) requires that any dog on the public streets or in any public place of the City be accompanied by a person over the age of twelve years and securely confined and controlled by an adequate leash not more than six feet long. The chapter also restricts unattended tethering of dogs to stationary objects. New Jersey state law at N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.1 et seq. governs dog licensing for dogs of licensing age (seven months or with a permanent set of teeth), and the Perth Amboy City Clerk issues annual licenses with current rabies vaccination required.
Chapter 199 of the Perth Amboy Code is the controlling local ordinance for dog restraint and licensing. Under Chapter 199, no person owning, keeping, or harboring any dog may suffer or permit it to be upon the public streets or in any of the public places of the City unless the dog is accompanied by a person over the age of twelve (12) years and is securely confined and controlled by an adequate leash not more than six (6) feet long. Off-leash use is permitted only within the City's designated off-leash area; outside that area dogs must be leashed at all times with a leash not exceeding six feet. Chapter 199 also addresses unattended tethering: it is unlawful to tether, fasten, tie, or restrain an unattended dog to a house, tree, fence, garage, stake, or other stationary or highly immobile object by a rope, strap, or other physical restraint for confinement, except where the tethering totals no more than six (6) hours within a twenty-four (24) hour period, with a maximum of two (2) hours at any one interval and a minimum one (1) hour period between confinements. Owners must also clean up and dispose of their dog's feces. Dogs must be licensed by the City Clerk under Section 199-2 et seq. and have current vaccinations as required by state and local law. Statewide, N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.1 defines a 'dog of licensing age' as any dog seven months old or having a permanent set of teeth, and N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.2 requires owners to apply annually (or every third year) to the Municipal Clerk for a license and metal registration tag, which must be affixed to the dog's collar or harness. The Animal Control Officer or Health Officer is empowered under Section 199-16 to take into custody and impound dogs that violate the chapter, including potentially dangerous dogs whose owners fail to comply.
Violations of Chapter 199 are enforced by the Perth Amboy Animal Control Officer, the Health Officer, and the Police Department. Local penalties for leash and at-large violations are set by ordinance: a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100) for a first offense, with recurring offenses not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000), in addition to any other remedies available under the Code. Dogs found at large or otherwise in violation may be impounded under Section 199-16; owners must pay impound and boarding fees and produce proof of current rabies vaccination and a valid Perth Amboy license to redeem the animal. Failure to license a dog of licensing age is a separate violation under both Chapter 199 and N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.2. Dogs that bite or are declared potentially dangerous are processed under N.J.S.A. 4:19-17 et seq. and require an additional potentially dangerous dog license on top of any standard license fee under Section 199-4.
Perth Amboy, NJ
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Perth Amboy, NJ
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Perth Amboy, NJ
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Perth Amboy, NJ
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Perth Amboy, NJ
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Perth Amboy, NJ
Abandoned vehicles in Perth Amboy are subject to towing and impoundment under local ordinance and state law.
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