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Ordinance Prohibiting the Displav of Wild and-Exotic Animals-Within-Grange Coun <br />This-Ordinance prohibits the display of wild and exotic animals within Orange County . <br />specifically for the purposes of entertainment or amusement. It does not prohibit the exhibition <br />of animals for educational purposes by non-profit groups, institutions or individuals. Section 2 <br />of the Proposed Ordinance specifies that "It shall be unlawful for any person to display or <br />sponsor a display of wild or exotic animals on any public or private property within Orange <br />County." <br />Section 3 of the proposed Ordinance details enforcement steps and penalties that include <br />classification as a criminal offense, Class 3 Misdemeanor and the imposition of civil penalties of <br />$50 per day per animal. <br />The Board of Health recommended the passage of this Ordinance in official action at their <br />January 25, 2001 meeting. The passage of the Ordinance is also endorsed by the Committee <br />on Human and Animal Safety and by the Animal Protection Society of Orange County. It is <br />worth noting that the Ordinance would only apply in the unincorporated areas of Orange <br />County. Each municipality would have to adopt the Ordinance for the provisions to be <br />applicable in their respective jurisdictions. <br />Ordinance Prohibiting the Keeping of Wild Animals Dangerous to Persons and Property <br />Within Orange County <br />The Board of Health also reviewed the current Ordinance prohibiting the keeping of wild <br />animals dangerous to persons and properties within Orange County as part of its work in <br />examining the potential ban on the display of wild and exotic animals. This Ordinance was first <br />passed in 1983 and has not been reviewed since that passage. The Board of Health's Animal <br />Control and Environmental Health Committee found confusing the language in the Ordinance <br />pertaining to permitting the keeping of such animals during the Ordinance's phase in period and <br />the accompanying language on structures and enclosures that accompanied the permits. That <br />language had been included in the Ordinance to allow those residents who already owned such <br />animals to continue to keep the animals until they died or the residents moved from the county. <br />No permits are currently on file or valid under the provisions of the 1983 Ordinance. <br />The county attorney's office reviewed the Committee's request and drafted the new Ordinance <br />as attached. <br />The Board of Health took official action at its January 25, 2001 meeting to recommend the <br />attached Ordinance. The Ordinance contains none of the language relating to the permitting of <br />wild and dangerous animals and their physical enclosure that was contained in the previous <br />language. This clarifies that the keeping of wild animals dangerous to persons and property <br />within Orange County is not allowed. The only exemption allowed is for animals used for <br />teaching and/or research purposes at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It is worth <br />noting that the Ordinance and the proposed amendments only apply in the unincorporated <br />areas of Orange County. Each municipality would have to adopt the ordinance for it to be <br />applicable in their respective jurisdictions. Other than these changes the ordinance remains the <br />same.