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Commissioners approve animal-control ordinance changes, direct staff on new shelter site search
Summary
The board approved ordinance language requiring pet owners to keep animals on their property, removed a 14-day mandatory euthanasia clause from a draft, and authorized staff to continue site selection and form a fundraising committee for a new animal shelter.
McDowell County commissioners voted to accept revisions to a proposed animal-control ordinance that require pet owners to keep animals under control on their property and to remove a clause that had proposed a 14-day euthanasia holding period for shelter animals.
County planning staff briefed the board that the planning board drafted the ordinance after concerns about dogs roaming at large and causing injury to people, livestock and property. The draft included a holding-period section for shelter animals; staff said that provision originated from operational concerns about shelter capacity and out-of-state transports.
A commissioner moved to accept the planning board’s proposed ordinance language addressing owner responsibility—keeping especially dogs under the owner’s control, whether by command or by leash—and to remove the 14-day euthanasia clause. The motion carried on a voice vote with ayes recorded.
On the related shelter project, staff reported the current shelter building (constructed circa 1980) is undersized and that previous boards considered expanding the existing building or finding a new site. The county has set aside roughly $1 million from earlier sales of a county facility and American Rescue Plan Act funds for a new shelter; staff said two county-owned candidate sites are under consideration and work continues to narrow options.
Commissioners voted to allow staff to continue site selection and to return at the next monthly meeting with a site recommendation. They also approved a motion directing staff to prepare a proposed membership list for a fundraising committee to be ready once a site is selected.
Board members and staff discussed adoption, outreach and spay/neuter programs. Staff described an 18-year-running Department of Social Services spay/neuter voucher program (state-funded with occasional local contributions) and said one local veterinary clinic participates; a second clinic has recently joined. A commissioner moved that staff examine whether $25,000 could be allocated from sales tax reserves to support spay/neuter vouchers; the motion was seconded and placed on the record for budgeting consideration.
Why it matters: The ordinance changes place clear responsibility on pet owners to control animals in public and private spaces. The shelter-site work and fundraising direction aim to address long-standing capacity and facility concerns; spay/neuter and adoption efforts were discussed as integral to reducing shelter intake.
Ending: Commissioners asked staff to return with site recommendations, committee membership proposals and budget options for spay/neuter support.
