Lincoln County considers removing boarding and livestock exemptions from dog-control ordinance

County commissioners on Oct. 15 considered a targeted revision to the dog-control ordinance that would strike two exemptions — "animal boarding facility" and "agricultural or livestock operations" — from the section addressing barking or howling dogs.

County health-department staff said the change is meant to close enforcement loopholes that have allowed owners to claim an exemption by describing ad hoc boarding or limited livestock on their property. "We've seen people who board a friend’s dog occasionally or who keep a handful of chickens claim the exemption," the health-department representative said, urging the removal to give animal-control officers clearer discretion.

The county’s animal-control officer and the county attorney’s office supported the revision as a pragmatic fix because the current ordinance does not define "animal boarding facility" or "agricultural or livestock operation," creating inconsistent outcomes, the staff summary said. Commissioners discussed a parallel licensing approach: board-of-health regulations are being updated to include kennel and boarding-facility licensing and inspection, which would allow licensed facilities to address noise and mitigation plans without creating a neighborhood loophole.

Kathy Hooper, representing the health department, said the requested change is limited to the barking/howling section and is intended to simplify enforcement rather than to punish legitimate businesses. Commissioners asked that any future boarding-facility exemption be tied explicitly to a formal licensing process that would require noise mitigation measures as part of inspection and licensing.

The commission did not vote on an ordinance at the meeting. Staff said the county will post a public hearing before formally adopting any ordinance amendment, giving residents an opportunity to comment at a scheduled hearing.