Orange County NC Website
Animal Control Ordinance <br />Adopted 1/21/2016 Unified Animal Control Ordinance Page 19 <br />Effective 3/1/2016 <br /> <br />(1) A dog being used by a law enforcement officer to carry out the law enforcement <br />officer’s official duties; <br /> <br />(2) A dog being used in a lawful hunt; <br /> <br />(3) A dog who was working as a hunting, herding, or predator control dog on the <br />property of, or under the control of, its owner or keeper, and the damage or <br />physical harm was to a species or type of domestic animal appropriate to the work <br />of the dog; or <br /> <br />(4) A dog where the physical harm inflicted by the dog was sustained by a person <br />who, at the time of the physical harm was: <br /> <br />a. On the Owner’s or Keeper’s property that has been posted with <br />placards or signs noting the presence of such animal or “No <br />Trespassing” in a manner reasonably likely to come to the attention of <br />an intruder;’ <br /> <br />b. Committing a willful trespass or other tort, which shall be determined <br />by looking at the totality of the circumstances; <br /> <br />c. Tormenting, abusing, or assaulting the dog or attempting to torment, <br />abuse, or assault the dog; or <br /> <br />d. Committing or attempting to commit a crime. <br /> <br />(5) Security dogs are subject to all other provisions of this Ordinance while off the <br />premises of their Owner or Keeper. <br /> <br />(5)(6) A dog that is defending a person or another animal at the time the injury to <br />or death of a pet or domestic livestock is sustained. <br /> <br />(f) An animal which has been declared dangerous may be impounded by the Animal <br />Control Officer, either upon direct observation of the Animal Control Officer or law <br />enforcement officer or receipt of written complaint that the animal is at large, or off <br />the premises of its Owner or Keeper and not restrained by a competent person, or not <br />confined in a manner permitted in subsection (d) above. <br /> <br />(1) Written Complaint. Upon receipt of a written complaint that an animal previously <br />declared dangerous was off the Owner’s or Keeper’s property while not properly <br />restrained confined in a manner permitted by subsection (d) above, and there is <br />probable cause to believe a violation of this Ordinance or other applicable law or <br />regulation has occurred, an Animal Control Officer may impound the animal and <br />investigate the complaint. <br />