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ANIMAL SERVICES 1601 Eubanks Road http://orangecountync.gov/animalservices phone: (919) 942-7387 Chapel Hill, NC 27516 fax: (919) 918-2393 Potentially Dangerous Dog Appeal Hearings: Frequently Asked Questions North Carolina General Statute (67-4.1) requires that dogs that have displayed certain behaviors be deemed potentially dangerous and be held to a strict standard by their owners or keepers. The same statute requires that a hearing be made available to a dog owner to appeal such a declaration. Owners of dogs that have been declared potentially dangerous by Orange County Animal Services have three (3) days from the notice of such a determination to request an appeal the decision. In Orange County, this appeal is provided by a standing committee of the Animal Services Advisory Board, a body of residents appointed by the Board of County Commissioners. Upon receiving a request for an appeal hearing, the Animal Services Director convenes the Potentially Dangerous Dog Appeal Committee. Under North Carolina General Statute (67-4.1), the committee holds the appeal hearing within ten (10) days of the date the appeal request is made. The timetable for the hearing is short and established by state law. Staff works hard to coordinate with hearing officers and schedule the hearing within ten (10) days from the date an appeal request is received. The facts/questions below are provided so that county residents can both understand the potentially dangerous dog determination and determine whether or not an appeal is a necessary or desired action. Important Facts • The functions of the Appeal Committee are narrow and specific. The only purpose of the hearing officers in this context is to determine whether the facts of the particular incident are consistent with the definition of a potentially dangerous dog given by the NC Statute. If the facts of the case indicate a behavior that matches the NC Statute’s definition of a potentially dangerous dog, there are no grounds for the hearing officers to overturn a dog’s declaration. • The hearing officers understand natural dog behavior. There is often, if not always, a veterinarian on the committee. However, their opinions about your dog’s character or whether