Stokes County delays vote on proposed animal control ordinance after hours of public comment

The Stokes County Board of Commissioners on May 12 deferred a decision on a proposed overhaul of the county’s animal control ordinance after hours of public comment in which residents and advocates said the draft would weaken protections for tethered and penned animals.

Residents, several of them affiliated with local rescue and advisory groups, urged the board to retain or strengthen existing standards on minimum shelter dimensions, tether lengths, waste removal and microchipping requirements. “We cannot move backwards with animal welfare,” said Sherry Smith, who reviewed line-by-line omissions she said leave key protections vague or unenforceable. Candace Lloyd, who provided commissioners a copy of House Bill 657, told the board that a future state law could create compliance risks if county rules diverge from state minimums.

The proposed draft, presented and defended at the meeting as an effort to…