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Bertie County commissioners vote to put tethering ordinance before voters after heated public comment
Summary
After extended public comment both for and against a proposed tethering ordinance, the board voted to place a Standards of Care & Animal Tethering measure on the ballot and directed staff to add advisory-board review to the March 16 work session.
The Bertie County Board of Commissioners voted Feb. 16 to place a proposed Standards of Care & Animal Tethering ordinance on the ballot for county voters to decide.
Chair Corey Ballance, Sr. said the board had "considered putting this on the ballot to let the citizens decide," and moved to place the ordinance before voters. Commissioner Ronald Roberson made the motion and Vice‑Chair Lewis Hoggard III seconded. The board recorded that two commissioners did not record a yea or nay; the board noted the motion passed and asked staff to add Animal Control Advisory Board consideration to the March 16 work session agenda.
The vote followed extensive public comment. Rachel Bellis of PETA told commissioners the ordinance was needed after dogs were found severely injured in Bertie County and argued that "the adoption of a tethering ordinance is necessary to help prevent similar situations and to protect the welfare of animals within the county." Several speakers, including former animal-control officer Victoria Nussbaumer, urged stronger shelter policies and owner education; Deborah Tayloe highlighted state spay/neuter reimbursement for eligible Tier 1 counties.
Opponents included members of regional houndsmen associations. Bobby Harris, president of the Camden County Houndsmen Association, said he did not support a tethering ban and urged enforcement of existing animal-control rules instead. Similar opposition came from Wayne Twiford (Currituck County Houndsmen Association) and other commenters who argued tradition and hunting practices could be affected.
Commissioner John Davis (public comment) and others suggested a negotiated exemption or agreement with houndsmen groups if the ordinance moves forward; commissioners directed follow-up discussion at the March work session. The county also heard suggestions for owner education and sterilization programs to reduce suffering and unowned-animal populations.
Next steps: the tethering proposal will appear on an upcoming ballot; county staff will place related advisory-board discussion on the March 16 work session agenda to refine implementation details and exemptions.
