Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
ordinances related to animals and as otherwise described in the laws of <br />North Carolina, shall be administered by the Animal Control Director. <br />Specifically: <br />A. The Animal Control Director shall designate employees or agents <br />enforcing this ordinance as Animal Control Officers and Rabies Control <br />Officers. Animal Cruelty Investigators may be appointed by the Board <br />of County Commissioners as provided by law. In the performance of <br />their duties, officers and investigators shall have all the power, <br />authority, and immunity granted under this ordinance and by the <br />general laws of this State to enforce the provisions of this <br />ordinance, and the laws of North Carolina as they relate to the care, <br />treatment, control or impounding of animals. All investigations of <br />reported or.observed animal cruelty or animal abuse shall be the joint <br />responsibility of and shall be jointly carried out by the Animal <br />Cruelty Investigators and the Animal Control Officers of Orange <br />County. <br />B. Except as may be otherwise .provided by law, no officer, agent, or <br />employee of the County charged with the duty of enforcing the <br />provisions of this ordinance or other applicable laws, shall be <br />personally liable for any damage that may accrue to persons or <br />property as a result of any act required or permitted in the discharge <br />of such duty unless he or she acts with actual malice. <br />C. It shall be unlawful for any person to interfere with, hinder, or <br />molest any Animal Control Officer, Rabies Control Officer, Animal <br />Cruelty Investigator, police officer while in the performance of any <br />duty authorized by this ordinance or the Animal Control Program, or to <br />seek to release any animal in the custody of said agents, except in <br />the manner as herein provided. <br />D. Animal Control Officers, Rabies Control Officers and Animal Cruelty <br />Investigators are not authorized to carry on their person firearms of <br />any kind except as provided herein. The Orange County Animal Control <br />Program may store at the Health Department and use firearms when <br />necessary to enforce sections of this ordinance or under applicable <br />law for the control of wild, vicious, or diseased animals. <br />E. The Animal Control Program shall: <br />1. Have the responsibility along with law enforcement agencies and <br />where applicable with animal cruelty investigators to enforce all <br />laws of North Carolina and all ordinances of Orange County <br />pertaining to animals and shall cooperate with all law <br />enforcement officers within Orange County in fulfilling this <br />duty. <br />2. Enforce and carry out all laws of North Carolina and all <br />ordinances of Orange County pertaining to rabies control. <br />8 <br />