Important Reminder to residents

All dogs either inside or outside the home must have a 2011 license.  This is a New Jersey State Law.
You must register your cat every year whether the cat is an inside or outside cat.  Click on "Forms and applications for this information"  

Departmental Links

•Forms and Applications For License 

•Monmouth County Mosquito Extermination Commission West Nile Virus Information: Questions & Answers

Tips For Being A Responsible Pet Owner

•LICENSE your pet according to your town's local ordinances. Attach the license tag to your pet's collar for quick identification if your pet gets lost. VACCINATE all dogs and cats for rabies.

•Your local health department offers free rabies clinics throughout the year - call 938-4500 extension 2240/2241 for more information. Keep all pets RESTRAINED to avoid harm to them from cars, other animals and diseases as well as to prevent them from damaging property or biting other animals and/or people. 

•LEASH all pets outside your property, and secure them within your property to prevent accidental escape. TRAVEL safely with your pet. Never allow a pet to ride in the open bed of a pickup truck, and confine all pets in a crate or carrier inside the car (never put crates or carriers in the trunk).

•Never LEAVE a pet unattended in a parked car during hot weather.  Even with the windows open, the temperature can quickly become dangerous.

•If your pets stay OUTSIDE during the day, make sure it has shelter from the rain, snow and sun. Provide plenty of water, but DON'T leave a bowl of food outside (it can attract unwanted animals into your yard).

•Unless you are a reputable breeder, SPAY (female) or NEUTER (male) your animal.  The SPCA has a low-cost Spay/Neuter Clinic, call  (732) 542-3125 for more information.

•WILD ANIMALS are never pets!! Abandoned baby, or any hurt wild animals should be left alone. Not only are wild animals unable to safely interact and live with humans, but may carry the risk of having rabies.

•CHOOSE your pet wisely.  Exotic pets (tropical birds, iguanas or pot belly pigs) may seem exciting at first, but require special care and attention. Consider small children or pets that are already in your home before buying or adopting any additional animals.

•If you don't want your pet………bring it to a SHELTER.  Not only are abandoned pets unable to care for themselves, but can pose a risk to the community for bites and disease transmission.  

ANIMAL BITES

•Immediately wash all animal bites with soap and water. Get medical help at once, call your doctor or go to the nearest hospital.  Be sure to report any bite from both domestic and wild animals to your local health department.  Phone 938-4500 ext. 2240/2241. On weekends your police department.

•If you have been bitten by a dog or a cat, obtain as much information as you can about the pet or stray. Take down a description of the animal, its' license number, owner's address and telephone number and the animal's vaccination status.

•If you have been bitten by a wild animal, try to confine or isolate the animal while taking  care to prevent further bites or exposure.  The animal will need to be tested as soon as possible.

•RABIES continues to be present in a number of wild, warm-blooded animals, especially raccoons. NEVER touch any wild animals, even if it is dead or injured !!

•While only a small percent of BATS carry rabies, they are still responsible for most of the cases of human rabies. Avoid all contact with any bat, but especially those behaving "unusually" (fluttering on the floor, flying in midday or having difficulty flying).

•A bat bite can be superficial, painless and heal rapidly.  Any time a bat is physically present and you cannot be certain that there has been no contact, or if a bat is found in the room with a sleeping child….assume there has been an exposure.  Safely capture the bat for rabies testing by using heavy protective gloves, tongs or a shovel to secure the bat in a coffee can or other tightly covered container---contact your local health department 938-4500 ext. 2240/2241 immediately Monday-Friday 8:30am-4:30pm.  Your police department in the evening or on weekends, or the Monmouth County Board of Health dispatch operator at 431-7456.

•Free roaming, unowned (stray) or feral (wild) cat communities can carry several diseases that may jeopardize human health. These diseases include rabies and other bite infections such as cat scratch fever, plaque and toxoplasmosis.  Cat colonies also can harbor diseases that can infect domestic cats including the feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency viruses.

•While some people may choose to manage these colonies by feeding the wild cats, proper management should also include rabies vaccination and neutering. In addition, maintenance of feral communities is a big responsibility unless you are prepared to take that commitment it may encourage irresponsible cat ownership by offering a "home" for free-roaming and abandoned pets.