Motorists Who Hit Or Injure Animals in NJ Must Stop And Report Accident to Authorities

Did you know that motorists in New Jersey who hit or injure animals
with their vehicles are required to stop and report the accident to
the authorities? Commonly known as the "flat cat" law, this statute
reads as follows:

"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 officer, or notify the nearest SPCA and give his or
her name, address, operator's license and registration number, and
also give the location of the injured animals."

The citation to the law is: N.J.S.A. 4:22-25.1. To get a copy, go
to www.njleg.state.nj.us, and click on "Statutes."

http://lis.njleg.state.nj.us/cgi-bin/om_isapi.dll?clientID=131733&Depth=4&TD=WRAP&advquery=animal%20motorist&headingswithhits=on&infobase=statutes.nfo&rank=&record={2A2F}&softpage=Doc_Frame_Pg42&wordsaroundhits=2&zz=

4:22-25.1. Motorist hitting domestic animal to stop; report
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 officer, or notify the nearest Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and give his name, address, operator's license and registration number, and also give the location of the injured animal.

L.1939, c. 315, p. 762, s. 1. Amended by L.1968, c. 39, s. 1, eff. May 9, 1968.

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.

Posted on SHARE Yahoo group Aug 3, 2001