TITLE: Title
Propose adoption of unified animal ordinance
PURPOSE: To propose the adoption of a unified animal ordinance that creates a common framework for animal services while allowing for codes that are unique to the town of Carrboro and other jurisdictions.
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DEPARTMENT: Police Department
CONTACT INFORMATION: Chief Walter Horton
INFORMATION: Since July 1, 2013, Orange County Animal Services has provided Animal Control Services to all parts Orange County except for the portion of Orange County within Mebane. Despite the increasing integration of animal services through Orange County Animal Services, there are three different animal ordinances in force (all available online at http://orangecountync.gov/AnimalServices/info.asp). Orange County, Carrboro and Chapel Hill all have their own ordinances, while Hillsborough has adopted the county's ordinance. The differences in the local Ordinances have proven to be complicated and confusing; not only for staff charged with responsibility for regulatory function and the Court system, but perhaps most importantly for the residents of the towns and the county.
Because animal services within the County have become more unified and integrated than they have been in the past, staff from the towns and county have developed a proposed Unified Animal Control Ordinance. The proposal does not create a generally uniform code across the towns and the county. Rather, it creates a unified framework within which there are some differences between the towns themselves and between the towns and the county.
The effort to create a unified animal ordinance involved convening a work group of staff from the involved jurisdictions. Specifically, the group consisted of the staff attorney for the Chapel Hill Police Department with animal control responsibilities, the Carrboro Police
Chief and a Carrboro police Captain. Hillsborough officials have been supportive throughout but elected to not participate in this proces...
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