Sampson County amends animal-control ordinance to give officers citation discretion, add fees and tether rules

The Sampson County Board of Commissioners voted to approve amendments to the county animal-control ordinance that give animal-control officers discretion to issue citations, add daily boarding charges for impounded animals and set a minimum tether length for companion animals.

The changes, presented by animal-control staff identified in the meeting as “Miss Sam,” include language allowing officers to choose between issuing a written citation immediately or working with an animal owner to resolve a nuisance complaint. “Now they have discretion if they want to immediately write the citation or work with the owner,” Miss Sam told the board during the discussion.

The amended ordinance also adds a daily boarding fee for animals held in county facilities, a graduated reclaim fee that increases with repeat offenses, and a 10-foot minimum tether for pets. The staff presentation said the revision clarifies that livestock may not be tethered within town limits; that prohibition was described by staff as a response to repeated officer contacts where animals were tethered to trees or structures.

Board members did not request additional substantive changes during the discussion. A commissioner moved approval of “the amended animal-control ordinance as recommended,” and the board adopted the motion; the minutes note the motion carried with all members voting in favor.

Why it matters: the changes alter enforcement discretion and introduce new fines and housing charges intended to offset the county’s costs for impounded animals. County staff said the reclaim fee increases are intended to encourage compliance after repeated violations and that new boarding fees will cover daily care costs that previously were not charged.

The board provided no numerical vote tally on the record, and the ordinance text and fee schedule adopted at the meeting were not included verbatim in the public remarks. The county clerk’s office and animal-control office were listed as points of contact for residents seeking details about the revised fee schedule and enforcement procedures.

The board’s action was a formal adoption of the ordinance amendment; staff indicated the changes are effective upon publication and implementation steps will follow.

The commission recorded the ordinance discussion during its action-items segment and moved on to subsequent items after the vote.