Orange County NC Website
1 ;'. <br /> r.4JL <br /> Mr. Jack Griffith, UNC Staff and County resident: Urged the Board to <br /> consider an ordinance of the type presented by Mr. Sheffield which claosifies <br /> animals. He said such an ordinance provided protection for citizens and personal <br /> freedom for individuals who wished to keep such animals; an example he gave was <br /> keeping the animals for research purposes. He said he does keep servals for researc <br /> and described his enclosure for the animals. Mr. Griffith cited the unique aspects <br /> of the Research Triangle Park, climate, professional researchers and yet still rural , <br /> r <br /> which made it attractive to those doing such animal research. Mr. Griffith summed <br /> , up his statement by saying that adoption of an ordinance such as Mr. Sheffield's <br /> , would: 1) protect the public; 2) protect the animals; and, 3) provide a humane <br /> , environment for the animals. <br /> Mr. Paul Modrich and Ms, Vickers Burdette, a husband and wife who live in <br /> , Orange County and are on Duke's Staff: Both urged a rational approach to animal <br /> , control . They own servals. They urged the classification approach to exotic animal <br /> , control . <br /> Mr. Tim Greene, Orange County resident and owner of several exotic animals: <br /> , Said he wished to clarify that the animals belong to him personally, and are not in <br /> , any way connected with Greene Valley Kennels. He maintains that his animals are <br /> , properly enclosed however, he said he planned to put up a fence. Mr. Greene invited <br /> , the Commissioners to visit his animals. He said the USDA had refused him accredition <br /> , for two reasons: 1) fecal discharge; and, 2) a mudhole that existed when the inspector <br /> , visited. Mr. Greene described his enclosures and reiterated the safety of such <br /> • enclosures. He urged a "reasonable" ordinance and said he is opposed to banning <br /> , exotic animals from the County. <br /> Ms. Patrice Solberg, an attorney representing residents near Mr. Greene's <br /> property, including herself: Cited the series of events which led to several of <br /> , the exotic animals being moved from Chatham County to Orange County. She continued <br /> , that cows had miscarried in Chatham County, due, presumably to the lions making noise; <br /> , and, that one cow had been killed while the leopards were loose in Chatham County. <br /> • She added that there were no eyewitnesses to the killing but the cow's owner had <br /> , said its back was slashed open. She said the risk to human life was not worth taking <br /> • and asked for a total ban on exotic animas in Orange County under the authority <br /> • granted the Board by G,S. 153-A Article 6. Ms. Solberg said Ms, Sue Pressman, <br /> • of the Humane Society of America and the American Veterinary Association both <br /> , <br /> • <br />