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Board approves wild and exotic animal ordinance; county to maintain registry flagged for dispatch
Summary
The Amherst County Board approved Ordinance 2025-4 establishing rules and a registry for wild or exotic animals, including venomous snakes. The Sheriff’s Office said addresses with registered exotic animals will be flagged in dispatch systems.
The Amherst County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 16 approved Ordinance 2025-4, a local ordinance regulating wild and exotic animals, after a presentation from the sheriff’s office and a brief public hearing.
Deputy Aguirre of the Amherst County Sheriff’s Office (Animal Control Division) told the board the ordinance responds to growing incidents involving wild or exotic animals and venomous snakes. The deputy said the ordinance will include an online application and fee and that the sheriff’s office will maintain a registry of addresses with listed exotic animals.
“For safety, fire and rescue, and…in the event we have to respond there in an emergency, rescue needs to know that they are there and know what they are going to be dealing with as well,” Deputy Aguirre said. The deputy said two houses in the county currently are known to contain venomous snakes and that dispatch will be notified when an address with registered exotic animals comes up in the CAD/premise system.
Board members asked how the registry information will reach fire and EMS; Deputy Aguirre and a second sheriff’s office representative explained staff would flag the address in the dispatch/premise system, similar to how the office flags dangerous-dog addresses, and that dispatch would relay the information to responders.
Outcome
Supervisor Wade moved approval of Ordinance 2025-4; the motion passed by voice vote. The deputy said the office will make the application available online and that fees will be directed to county revenue.
What this means locally
The ordinance establishes a permitting and registration process for owners of specified wild or exotic animals, creates a fee-based application (to be posted online if the ordinance is fully codified), and requires the sheriff’s office to coordinate with dispatch so that emergency responders are notified when they respond to a registered address. The board did not alter the ordinance at adoption and took no subsequent administrative actions during the meeting.
