ORD-2008-069 - Proposed Animal Ordinance Amendment on the Tethering of Dogs

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Commissioner Carey said that the Board may ask staff to bring back further information and it may want to refer this back to the Tethering Committee or ASAB for consideration, if need be. Commissioner Foushee said that there are questions that the Board of County Commissioners needs an opportunity to raise, but she does not want to bring this up until the public has had their say. She has questions about enforcement. Chair Jacobs made a few suggestions. He said that it is not a competition to see who gets the most speakers or who has the loudest applause. He said that he sees a number of people signed up to speak who spoke last time, and he asked that they not speak again, in courtesy to others who have not spoken yet. He said that the Board does listen, and the same things do not need to be said again. There was a citizen in opposition to what Chair Jacobs said. Chair Jacobs also asked that anyone that comes to speak please remove their hats. PUBLIC COMMENT: Dennis Carden is from Caldwell in Orange County and is a charter member of the Quail Farm Beagle Club. This club has 50 kennels built to USDA standards, and they oppose this tethering ordinance and the pen laws that are included in it. He said that he is an AKC licensed judge and he travels all over judging beagles. He feels that this ordinance invades their rights as hunters and dog owners. He said that these dog owners have had a lifetime commitment and he feels like they are not even being considered. He thinks that it is all about what the Tethering Committee thinks. He said that USDA already has a standard size pen. He asked what is big enough. He said that he takes very good care of his dogs and keeps his pens and feeding bowls clean. He said that he was proud to be an Orange County citizen until recently. Charles Best is a lifetime resident of Orange County. He owns 300 acres of land and said that he works hard to keep it. His father taught him how to hunt as a child, to respect a gun, and how to treat a dog. He said that in the 30's, it was good to have rabbit or squirrel on the table. He said that he feels like he was losing his right to teach his children about having dogs. He has small dogs now. He does not see how smaller dogs need the same size pen as larger dogs. He does not think that more laws are needed, because there are laws now for people that mistreat dogs. He challenged the Board to come out to NC 54 and the Quail Farm Beagle Club. He said that revenues come in to the County through the field trials that the beagle club coordinates. He said that he has had dogs all of his life and he loves his dogs. He thinks that he is being penalized. David Aman said that he is speaking in favor of the tethering ordinance amendment. He said that passage of this amendment would give the Animal Protection officials an additional tool with which to come to the aid of a distressed and neglected dog that has been chained for an inordinately long period of time. He said that this ordinance amendment is based on a genuine expressed interest driven by citizens who live within the boundaries of this County. To his knowledge, there is no ordinance amendment supporter who receives money from anyone within or outside of the County to professionally organize or lobby for the passage of this type of local issue. He said that this process has been going on for one year, and this is the fourth public hearing. Robin Harrison said that she has been a resident for 20 years. She said that her dog is tethered now, and she would be breaking this ordinance by just attending this meeting. She said that if she left her dogs loose, they would dig under, climb over, or high jump her fence. She said that this amendment does not make sense and she is opposed to it.