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Animal control officer urges clearer dog-holding rule; commissioners to review ordinance
Summary
Animal control officer Skip Dunlow described shelter capacity limits and urged the commission to amend a confusing 1982 dog ordinance after county staff had implemented an informal 10-day practice; the board agreed to take the item to work session for clarification.
Skip Dunlow, Bertie County animal control officer, told commissioners that state law requires a 72-hour holding period but the county's 1982 ordinance refers to a five-day posting and contains language that makes the practical deadline unclear. "State law says you have to hold a cat or a dog for 72 hours," he said, and explained the county shelter's limited runs and shared facility use with the humane society complicate intake and turnover.
Dunlow said staff at times have used a ten-day practice to manage flow and that keeping animals longer imposes additional costs and care requirements (vaccination after 15 days; enhanced care logs after 30 days). He described the emotional toll of euthanasia and said the point of proposing a clear holding period is to make the ordinance implementable: "You need to set a definite time so Skip will know what he's supposed to do," a commissioner said during discussion.
Several commissioners and the county manager discussed the ordinance's confusing language and agreed staff should draft a clarified amendment for board consideration or a work session. Commissioner comments noted the county cannot set a holding period below three days required by state law and that any change should balance public expectations, shelter capacity and legal requirements.
The board did not adopt new ordinance language at the meeting but directed that the item be taken up in a subsequent work session so staff can prepare clearer language and options for the commissioners to consider.
