Confusion among some of Horry County’s animal control officers is the primary reason the county’s public safety committee is looking at revamping some of the rules currently in place for dealing with animals.
Paul Whitten, director of public safety, said most of the changes are simply to clarify some of the ordinances.
The public safety committee will address six primary issues at Thursday’s meeting, then a second a draft of the revised ordinances will be presented. The committee is expected to forward them to the full County Council for adoption.
Dennis Lewis talks softly to a puppy he's taking to the Horry County Animal Care Center on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012. The puppy owner's neighbor (left) had called Horry County Police complaining three dogs were running loose in the neighborhood, dragging trash from cans and being a nuisance. But, when officer Lewis arrived the dog and two puppies were on their owner's property. The neighbor showed Lewis where she'd trapped the puppies' mother on the dog owner's porch. Lewis explained to the neighbor the puppies and mother had food, water, shelter and were on their own property. With those criteria met, Lewis said there was nothing he could do to answer her complaint. A few minutes later, the neighbor called back saying she'd caught one of the puppies on her porch. The county is looking into changing the animal control ordinances so they are more specific to give the officers more tools to perform their duties.
The issues are: defining what “proper cover” is for pet owners; setting up parameters dealing with animal hoarding; development of a feral cat trap, neuter and return program; creating a low-cost spay and neuter clinic; requiring dog and cat owners to provide identification for these animals; and detailing the rights of an animal owner during a hearing to determine if a pet is vicious.
Just what proper cover meant, for example, was something that confused animal control officers tasked with enforcing these provisions.
In its old format, the ordinance said animal owners must provide sufficient food and water, veterinary care and proper cover.
“But does that mean a tree? Does that mean a bush? Does that mean an old abandoned car?” Whitten said.
Under the new ordinance, proper cover is defined as a doghouse or house-like structure, and is appropriate for the size and number of animals.
The number of animals is something that won’t be defined in the hoarding ordinance.
Whitten said five pets, for instance, wouldn’t be suitable for his home. However, for people who live on several acres of property, they could possibly handle upwards of 20 pets.
For this ordinance, which deals with creating a public nuisance, it states that a person is in violation if they posses a large number of animals and fail to provide the minimum care and treatment requirements, or keeps them in a severely overcrowded environment.
The ordinance dealing with a public hearing gives the magistrate the authorization to order an animal be humanely disposed of if it’s deemed vicious.
Whitten’s hope is the full council will grant public safety the authority to enact these new ordinances and programs, which also includes the feral cat neuter and return program, and the low-cost spay and neuter clinic.
“People really don’t want to see stray animals wandering their neighborhoods. And how do we deal with that?” Whitten said.
Dealing with stray animals is a continuing issue for Horry County animal control groups. Whitten the growth in animals is directly correlated with the growth in population.
From 2000 to 2010, Horry County’s population grew from 196,629 people to 269,291.
“It’s just part of an on-going process,” Whitten said.
John Bonsignor, president of the local Save Our Cats group, said the feline population is definitely exploding. His volunteers routinely get multiple calls from residents saying unwanted cats are in their yard and creating a nuisance, he added.
One woman has 15 cats she’s trying to get rid of, Bonsignor said.
A poor economic climate has also led to the rise in the local animal population. Whitten said people whose homes go into foreclosure may have to move into a rental property that doesn’t allow pets.
“Animals is one (area) that gets impacted,” he said
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