Commissioners ask planning staff to draft animal-sanctuary rules and revisit tethering resolution

The Henry County Board of Commissioners directed planning staff to draft a Unified Land Development Code amendment and a resolution to authorize an animal rehabilitation or sanctuary use after a request from residents, and separately asked staff to revisit a 2021 county resolution on animal tethering.

A commissioner asked the county to consider a formal zoning mechanism after the Hitchcock family requested permission to operate a bird sanctuary that would treat injured birds and release them back to habitat. The board noted the Georgia Department of Natural Resources had approved the family for wildlife work, but commissioners said the county currently lacks a clear land-use category that allows animal rehabilitation in the proposed format.

The board asked planning staff to bring a draft ULDC amendment and a resolution back to the board for consideration at the October BOC meeting. In the same discussion Commissioner Price asked staff to review the Sept. 8, 2021 resolution on animal tethering and return options for updating that policy. Staff confirmed both items would be presented to the board in October (staff later clarified the items would appear in the second meeting in October).

The board took a motion and second on the request and approved directing staff to prepare the amendment and the tethering review; the item established direction for staff rather than adopting a new ordinance at the meeting.

The action provides a formal next step for residents who requested the sanctuary use and signals that county zoning may be updated to explicitly allow animal rehabilitation operations under defined conditions; specific regulatory language, permit requirements, setbacks, or operating standards were not provided at the hearing and will be developed by staff.