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The Township Committee of Mendham Township, New Jersey, will consider changes to its animal control ordinance on Tuesday, October 23, 2012. The American Kennel Club (AKC) encourages all interested New Jersey residents to attend Tuesday's meeting and voice concerns with the ordinance.

Dating back to late 2011, the Mendham Township Committee attempted to address some residents' concerns about the keeping of animals. The initial proposal featured an ownership limit, which the AKC, the New Jersey Federation of Dog Clubs, and other allied groups successfully opposed.  The latest version of the ordinance, which is expected to be voted on at tomorrow's meeting, includes a new list of dog nuisances. Of specific concern, however, to the AKC is a new definition of “Commercial Purposes” to mean, “the operation of a kennel for the purpose of financial gain, or the receipt of fees, costs, compensation or other revenue. The presence, exclusive of puppies under the age of three months, of more than ten dogs at a premises or establishment shall give rise to the rebuttable presumption that said premises are operated as a kennel.”

The AKC is concerned that the rebuttable presumption will ultimately prove onerous to many responsible breeders who are not engaged in commercial activity with their dogs but that, because of this definition, will subject them to governmental licensure and oversight via kennel licensing. The AKC also believes that the exemption of puppies only up to the age of three months does not take into consideration that breeders often keep puppies until they are older to ensure proper evaluation as show, breeding, or service dog prospects.

Click here for a copy of the proposal.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Concerned New Jersey residents are encouraged to attend tomorrow's meeting of the Mendham Township Committee and respectfully express their concerns to the members of the Committee.

Mendham Township
Township Committee Meeting
Tuesday, October 23, 2012 7:30PM
Town Hall
2 West Main Street
P.O. Box 520
Brookside, NJ 07926

Click here for direction to Town Hall.
 

Concerned New Jersey residents are also encouraged to contact the Mendham Township Committee members with your concerns.

Mayor Samuel K. Tolley
stolley@mendhamtownship.org

Deputy Mayor Richard A. Merkt
rmerkt@mendhamtownship.org

Frank V. Cioppettini
fcioppettini@mendhamtownship.org

Maribeth Thomas
mthomas@mendamtownship.org

Robert O. Strobel
rstrobel@mendhamtownship.org

 

For more information, contact AKC's Government Relations Department at (919) 816-3720, or email doglaw@akc.org; or the New Jersey Federation of Dog Clubs at taadeutsch@yahoo.com.

The Township Committee of Mendham Township, New Jersey, will consider changes to its animal control…