South Jersey Towns That Limit How Many Dogs You Can Own

 The question came up recently about which South Jersey towns limit how many dogs you can own and I decided to look into it.

Although there are a host of regulations about dogs in most South Jersey towns, only a couple of communities restrict how many dogs you may own.

Most South Jersey Communities Do Not Set Animal Limits

I was surprised at how few South Jersey towns have restrictions on the number of dogs you can own.

Perhaps our local towns are following the lead of the State of New Jersey which does not have any laws explicitly limiting the number of dogs one household can own.

I reviewed laws for every municipality in Atlantic and Cape May counties and didn't find one town in Cape May County that restricted the number of dogs you can have on your property.

Even Cape May County Shore towns with small parcels of land spaced closely together like Ocean City, Cape May, Sea Isle, Avalon, Stone Harbor, and the Wildwoods leave it up to the homeowner to decide how many dogs they want.

Although it seems like if your dogs caused enough complaints from neighbors, local police would still give you an understandably hard time for disturbing the peace.

Three Atlantic County Towns Do Set Limits on How Many Dogs You Can Own

In 1997, my hometown of Margate passed legislation that restricts the number you may own to four dogs that can be “kept, maintained or harbored at one time for any length of time in any residential housing unit, or on its grounds, or in any industrial or business establishment, or on its grounds.”

Egg Harbor Township phrases it a little differently but has an even tougher policy. “Owning, keeping, or harboring more than three dogs on property of less than one acre shall be considered a nuisance.”

Hammonton set a rule that lets the town's animal control officer use his judgment to decide if you have too many pets.

 It shall be unlawful for any person to maintain upon any premises a number of domestic animals including, but not limited to, dogs and cats, in excess of that which he/she has the ability to manage in a humane, safe and healthful environment.

 

It shall be the responsibility of the Animal Control Officer to make a determination whether the number of such animals exceeds that limit…

In nearby Shamong Township, Burlington County, they have a dog restriction policy that seems rather silly.

 No more than a total of 25 dogs shall be kept, maintained or harbored at one time, for any length of time, in any residential housing unit or on its grounds or in any business establishment or on its grounds.