Volunteers defend Clifford’s Army Rescue as callers urge county action on stray animals and ordinances

Dozens of county residents and animal welfare volunteers used public comment at the Cleveland County Board of Commissioners’ February 2025 meeting to defend Clifford’s Army Rescue and press elected officials to act on stray-animal care, spay-and-neuter services and local nuisance ordinances.

Speakers described Clifford’s volunteers as the county’s primary responders for stray and injured animals, detailed large spay/neuter and trap-neuter-return efforts, and pushed the county to consider ordinances or other steps to reduce noise, trash and unlicensed or unregulated animal breeding. Multiple commenters also responded to a series of public accusations against rescue leaders and said licensing inspections underway are routine and cooperative.

The discussion matters because volunteers say they fill gaps in county animal-control capacity and want county policies and funding to make rescue work safer and more sustainable. Several speakers asked commissioners to increase transparency and to work with rescue groups instead of pursuing enforcement actions that could reduce the county’s foster capacity.

Volunteer and resident accounts

Bobby Dyer, who identified himself as a Shelby resident, urged commissioners to “stand up for the county” and said noise and trash issues could be addressed under state law. Dyer cited North Carolina General Statute 153A-133 on noise regulation and North Carolina General Statute 153A-132.1 on removal and disposal of trash when urging the board to consider local ordinances. Dyer said unregulated properties are “a public health hazard” and urged action to protect neighbors’ quality of life.

Several rescue volunteers described day-to-day operations and recent outreach work. Tammy Freeman and other volunteers were credited with trap-neuter-return work for feral cats; one speaker said Freeman trapped and sterilized 1,033 cats last year. Dana Christen, a volunteer, said rescue groups had “done more than almost all of us combined” to help animals and pleaded with commissioners not to let “perfect be the enemy of progress.”

Supporters also disputed claims made publicly against rescue leader Deb Harden. Ginger Bullock, who identified herself as a supporter of the rescue, said an October Department of Agriculture “facility compliance inspection” at a site on Bethlehem Road was performed at the rescue’s request, described the inspection as a routine, cooperative step, and said the shelter was close to remedying noted deficiencies ahead of a final inspection.

Rescue capacity, county resources and transparency

Speakers repeatedly asked the county to work with volunteer groups and to improve access to low-cost spay/neuter services. BJ Zamora and Laura Davis urged the board to use the county’s veterinary resources to provide cheaper sterilization for people who cannot afford private care and to collaborate with rescues to reduce the number of animals entering the system.

Terry Ward told commissioners the county’s animal-control operation has a $2,000,000 budget and asked the board to clarify how those funds are used and whether more resources could support partnerships with volunteers. Ward and others urged commissioners to visit foster sites and proposed closer cooperation rather than punitive enforcement.

What commissioners heard and next steps

Commissioner Marvin Hutchins and other members acknowledged the speakers and thanked volunteers for their work; the board did not take a separate action on animal services during the meeting. The public-comment period ended without any new ordinance or directive recorded on the meeting minutes.

Community context

Speakers described a county-wide stray-animal problem they say requires both enforcement and supportive services: ramped-up sterilization, low-cost veterinary care, clearer shelter licensing paths and better communication between county government and volunteer rescues. Several residents asked the county legal and animal-services teams to mediate rather than escalate disputes that they said could reduce volunteer capacity.

For now, the record from the meeting is a public plea for county engagement rather than a formal change in policy.