Harnett County Animal Ordinance - Trap Ban

[blueridge]

FYI-




Harnett: Animal control's authority extended



Harnett County Board of Commissioners
Published on Tuesday, August 05, 2008

What happened: With Vice Chairwoman Beatrice Bailey Hill absent, the board Monday approved by a 4-0 vote a municipal animal control ordinance that will be used only in the towns and extraterritorial jurisdictions of Angier, Coats, Erwin and Lillington.

Why it matters: The ordinance provides and defines authority of Harnett County Animal Control within those four towns. “It just lets us take charge,” Tino Medina, supervisor of the animal control department, said after the meeting. “We will be able to go in those towns and enforce the laws.”

According to the ordinance, animal control will have “charge of protecting citizens of those towns from rabies transmitted by unconfined, uncontrolled or un-immunized animals, to regulate animals that may be a nuisance, to insure that all animals are treated in a humane manner, and in the promotion of responsible pet ownership and animal welfare.”

Under the new regulations, it will be unlawful to hunt, trap or kill any animal within the territorial limits of the towns. Trapping may be done only with permission from the Harnett County Animal Control Department.

What they said: “The towns had leash laws but no way to enforce them,” Assistant County Manager Tony Wilder told the board. “Police officers will still be involved.” The police in the four municipalities will make first contact and issue warnings when necessary, Wilder said.

“We think this is going to be a good effort,” he said.

Other business: The board unanimously approved a project ordinance and grant agreement for a Housing Preservation Grant program. The $90,000 USDA Rural Development grant targets eligible households that are low-income owner-occupied for housing repair over a two-year period. The county is required to provide a $20,000 match.

Board Chairman Tim McNeill noted that a public discussion of the BRAC task force plan and its potential effect on the county is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. Aug. 19 at the Harnett County Government Complex, 311 Cornelius Blvd. in Lillington.

— Michael Futch

[TrapperTod]

I never understand how trapping has anything to do with leash laws. I just don't get it.

[rye]

Aug 5, 2008 4:58:20 GMT -5 TrapperTod said:

I never understand how trapping has anything to do with leash laws. I just don't get it.

You aren't alone on that one Tod

[stephenkelly82]

so is what they are saying is that if beavers are daming up the states cross-line pipes in thown that ADC trappers can't trap the beavers and relocate them?

[bmlutra]

What does "extraterritorial jurisdiction" mean? I trapped near Angier last year.

[Ldsoldier]

There's a great idea. Lets put the dog-catchers in charge of the wild critters, too.

[g3trappernc]

This smells very fishy to me. Didn't Harnett just get a fox season in the last couple of years? Is there someone in someone else's back pocket?

[stephenkelly82]

Its not stopping the trapping indefinitly in HC, just in the 4 cities. Which believe it or not, have a main portion of the HC fox. It just says that in the city limits the want control.

[claytcc243]

"What they said: “The towns had leash laws but no way to enforce them,” Assistant County Manager Tony Wilder told the board. “Police officers will still be involved.” The police in the four municipalities will make first contact and issue warnings when necessary, Wilder said."



Someone explain this to me: I am in all of these towns quite a bit, have been for 30+ yrs, they have Animal Control, they have a pound, they have a leash law............... how in Hades can the Police Dept enforce this law any better than animal control. Instead of the Dog Catcher rounding the strays up giving them the "good news" or whatever at the pound and citing the responsible party if there is one, which by the way is what they are paid to do, a police officer will have to be dispatched to handle this part of it first ...then call animal control......am I interpreting this right?

[claytcc243]

Now that I think about it, especially in Lillington there have been a lot of people caught hunting turkey and deer around in the city limits, I know some of the outlaws and have talked to the Game Wardens as well and can somewhat see the rationale behind a hunting ban inside city limits, but I dont really get the big emphasis on the trapping aspect of the whole deal.