Title 4, Title 4: AGRICULTURE AND DOMESTIC ANIMALS

4:22-16.1. Adoption of standards, rules, regulations for treatment of domestic livestock 1. a. The State Board of Agriculture and the Department of Agriculture, in consultation with the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station and within six months of the date of enactment of t…

4:22-16.2 Definitions; rules, regulations. 1. a. As used in this section: "Breeding pig" means any female pig of the porcine species kept for the purpose of commercial breeding, who is six months or older or pregnant. "Calf raised for veal" means any calf of the bovine species ke…

4:22-17 Cruelty; certain acts, crime; degrees. 4:22-17. a. It shall be unlawful to: (1) Overdrive, overload, drive when overloaded, overwork, abuse, or needlessly kill a living animal or creature; (2) Cause or procure, by any direct or indirect means, including but not limited to…

4:22-17.1 Definitions relative to care, tethering of certain animals. 1. As used in this act: "Adverse environmental conditions" means (1) when the ambient temperature is 32 degrees Fahrenheit or below in the immediate vicinity of a dog, domestic companion animal, or service anim…

4:22-17.2 Unlawful treatment of certain animals. 2 a. Except as provided in subsections b. and c. of this section, it is unlawful to expose any dog, domestic companion animal, or service animal to adverse environmental conditions for more than 30 minutes, unless the animal has co…

4:22-17.3 Unlawful to cruelly restrain a dog. 3. a. It is unlawful for any person to cruelly restrain a dog. b. A person cruelly restrains a dog if the person tethers a dog: (1) which is a nursing female, or which is less than four months old; (2) outdoors between the hours of 11…

4:22-17.4 Unlawful confinement of certain animals. 4. a. It is unlawful to confine a dog, domestic companion animal, or service animal in any structure, room, area, or container that does not comply with the standards and requirements of proper shelter as set forth in section 5 o…

4:22-17.5 Proper shelter for certain animals. 5. a. Proper shelter for a dog, domestic companion animal, or service animal shall be a structure or other type of protection that meets, at a minimum, the following standards and requirements: (1) It provides at all times (a) adequat…

4:22-17.6 Responsibilities of DOH, municipality. 6. a. The Department of Health, in consultation with the Attorney General, shall: (1) provide to each municipality in writing sufficient copies of (a)this act, R.S.4:22-17, and R.S.4:22-26; (b) a plain language description of the p…

4:22-17.7 Violations, remedies, required actions. 7. a. Upon a showing of probable cause that there has been a violation of P.L.2017, c.189 (C.4:22-17.1 et seq.) and submission of proof of issuance of a summons, a court of competent jurisdiction may issue, upon request, a warrant…

4:22-17.8 Violations, penalties for failure to provide necessary care. 8. a. A violation of section 2, 4, or 5 of this act shall constitute failure to provide necessary care pursuant to R.S.4:22-17 and R.S.4:22-26, and a violator shall be subject to the applicable penalties set f…

4:22-17.9 Construction, application of act. 9. No provision of this act, or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant thereto, shall be construed or applied to limit any protection afforded to any dog pursuant to Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes or any other provisions of Title …

4:22-18. Carrying animal in cruel, inhumane manner; disorderly persons offense 4:22-18. A person who shall carry, or cause to be carried, a living animal or creature in or upon a vehicle or otherwise, in a cruel or inhumane manner, shall be guilty of a disorderly persons offense …

4:22-19. Failure to care for, destruction of impounded animals; penalties; collection 4:22-19. A person who shall: a. Impound or confine, or cause to be impounded or confined, in a pound or other place, a living animal or creature, and shall fail to supply it during such confinem…

4:22-19.1. Chamber or device to induce hypoxia; dismantlement and removal Within 30 days of the effective date of this act, any chamber or device used to induce hypoxia through decompression or in any other manner shall be dismantled and removed from the premises. The owner of an…

4:22-19.2. Dismantlement and removal of decompression chamber or device; offense Within 30 days of the effective date of this act, any chamber or device used to induce hypoxia through decompression or in any other manner and any gas chamber or similar device, except one which is …

4:22-19.3. Neuromuscular blocking agents prohibited Whenever any dog, cat, or any other domestic animal is to be destroyed, the use of succinylcholine chloride, curare, curariform drugs, or any other substance which acts as a neuromuscular blocking agent is prohibited. L. 1988, c…

4:22-19.4. Penalty A person who violates this act shall be subject to a penalty of $25.00 for the first offense and $50.00 for each subsequent offense, to be collected in a civil action by a summary proceeding under "the penalty enforcement law" (N.J.S. 2A:58-1 et seq.). Each ani…

4:22-20. Abandoning disabled animal to die in public place; disorderly persons offense 4:22-20. a. A person who shall abandon a maimed, sick, infirm or disabled animal or creature to die in a public place, shall be guilty of a disorderly persons offense. b. A person who shall aba…

4:22-21 Offering for sale horse unfit for work; disorderly persons. 4:22-21. A person who shall receive or offer for sale a horse that is suffering from abuse or neglect, or which by reason of disability, disease, abuse or lameness, or for any other cause, could not be worked, ri…

4:22-22. Offering diseased animal for sale; crime of fourth degree 4:22-22. A person who shall: a. Willfully sell, or offer to sell, use, expose, or cause or permit to be sold or offered for sale, used or exposed, any horse or other animal having the disease known as glanders or …

4:22-23 Use of bird as target; disorderly persons offense, $25 fine. 4:22-23. A person who shall: a. Use a live pigeon, fowl or other bird for the purpose of a target, or to be shot at either for amusement or as a test of skill in marksmanship; b. Shoot at a bird used as describe…

4:22-24 Animal fighting crimes; definitions. 4:22-24. a. A person who shall: (1) Keep, use, be connected with or interested in the management of, or receive money for the admission of a person to, a place kept or used for the purpose of fighting or baiting a living animal or crea…

4:22-24.1 "Trunk fighting," defined, third degree crime. 1. a. In addition to the provisions of R.S.4:22-24, it shall be unlawful to engage in, facilitate, or provide the means to engage in, trunk fighting. For the purposes of this section, "trunk fighting" means the practice of …

4:22-25.1 Motorist hitting domestic animal to stop; report. 1. Each person operating a motor vehicle who shall knowingly hit, run over, or cause injury to a cat, dog, horse, or cattle shall stop at once, ascertain the extent of injury, report to the nearest police station, police…

4:22-25.2. Violations; petty disorderly persons offense 2. Any person who shall violate any of the provisions of section 1 of P.L.1939, c.315 (C.4:22-25.1) shall be guilty of a petty disorderly persons offense. L.1939,c.315,s.2; amended 1953,c.5,s.62; 1995,c.355,s.7.

4:22-25.3. Sale, barter of products made from dog or cat fur; prohibited 1. Any person who sells, barters, or offers for sale or barter, at wholesale or retail, the fur or hair of a domestic dog or cat or any product made in whole or in part from the fur or hair of a domestic dog…

4:22-25.4. Sale, barter of dog or cat flesh or products for human consumption; disorderly persons offense 2. Any person who sells, barters, or offers for sale or barter, at wholesale or retail, for human consumption, the flesh of a domestic dog or cat or any product made in whole…

4:22-25.5 Slaughter, transport of horses for human consumption; disorderly persons offense. 1. a. Any person who knowingly slaughters a horse for human consumption commits a disorderly persons offense. b. Any person who sells, barters, or offers for sale or barter, at wholesale o…

4:22-26 Penalties for various acts constituting cruelty. 4:22-26. A person who shall: a. (1) Overdrive, overload, drive when overloaded, overwork, abuse, or needlessly kill a living animal or creature, or cause or procure, by any direct or indirect means, including but not limite…

4:22-26.1 Confiscation, forfeiture of animal. 1. A certified animal control officer, municipal humane law enforcement officer, humane law enforcement officer of a county society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, chief humane law enforcement officer, or animal cruelty pros…

4:22-26.2 Animal care agency, enforcement agency, animal cruelty violation conviction, forfeiture, transfer custody; prohibiting violator from owning, harboring, residing with, having custody of other animals, time deemed appropriate by court. 5. a. (1) Notwithstanding the provis…

4:22-28 Civil, criminal actions separate. 4:22-28. The indictment of a person under the provisions of this article, or the holding of a person to bail to await the action of a grand jury or court, shall not in any way relieve that person from liability to be sued for the appropri…

4:22-29 Jurisdiction for action for penalty. 4:22-29. The action for the penalty prescribed in R.S.4:22-26 shall be brought: a. In the Superior Court; or b. In a municipal court of the municipality wherein the defendant resides or where the offense was committed. Amended 1953, c.…

4:22-32 Enforcement and collection of penalties; warrant. 4:22-32. Penalties for violations of R.S.4:22-26 shall be enforced and collected in a summary manner under the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.). A warrant may issue when the defendant…

4:22-33. Security for appearance where defendant nonresident or desires continuance Where a defendant is a nonresident of the county in which the alleged offense was committed, or where a defendant desires an adjournment or continuance of the hearing, the court before whom the co…

4:22-44 Arrests with, without warrant. 4:22-44. Any municipal humane law enforcement officer, chief humane law enforcement officer, humane law enforcement officer of a county society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, sheriff, undersheriff, or police officer may: a. Make a…

4:22-45 Notice to county prosecutor, designee. 4:22-45. Where an arrest is made for a violation of subsection c. of R.S.4:22-17 by a sheriff, undersheriff, police officer, municipal humane law enforcement officer, chief humane law enforcement officer, or humane law enforcement of…

4:22-46. Search warrants; issuance Any court having jurisdiction of violations of the law in relation to cruelty to animals may issue search warrants to enter and search buildings or places wherein it is reasonably believed that such law is being violated. Amended by L.1953, c. 5…

4:22-46.1 Definitions. 2. As used in sections 2 through 5 of P.L.2023, c.129 (C.4:22-46.1 et al.): "Animal care agency" means a shelter, pound, kennel, or animal rescue organization, as those terms are defined in section 1 of P.L.1941, c.151 (C.4:19-15.1), or a humane society or …

4:22-46.2 Animal cruelty violation, probable cause, warrant, enter property, animal located, taking custody of animal. 3. a. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant thereto, to the contrary, upon a showing of probable cause that…

4:22-46.3 Animal care agency, authorized agent, file action, seeking reasonable costs of care. 4. a. An animal care agency that takes custody of an animal pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2023, c.129 (C.4:22-46.2), or an authorized agent of the animal care agency, including an attorn…

4:22-47 Warrantless arrest for fighting or baiting offenses. 4:22-47. A sheriff, undersheriff, police officer, municipal humane law enforcement officer, chief humane law enforcement officer, or humane law enforcement officer of a county society for the prevention of cruelty to an…

4:22-48. Forfeiture, sale of seized animals 4:22-48. The person seizing animals, creatures, implements or appliances as authorized in section 4:22-47 of this Title, shall, within 24 hours thereafter, apply to a court of competent jurisdiction to have the same forfeited and sold. …

4:22-48.1. Owner to bear expenses a. A person authorized to take possession of a living animal or creature pursuant to R.S. 4:22-47 may provide such shelter, care, and treatment therefor, including veterinary care and treatment, that is reasonably necessary, the costs of which sh…

4:22-48.2 Owner of confiscated animal responsible for certain costs. 1. The costs of sheltering, caring for, or treating any animal that has been confiscated from a person arrested pursuant to the provisions of R.S.4:22-47 by a municipal humane law enforcement officer, a chief hu…