Small animal management ordinance unanimously approved by Horry County Council
Better, stronger animal welfare and protection laws clearly have been needed and now Horry County has an updated ordinance addressing concerns about puppy and kitten mills and other small animal issues.
The County Council on Nov. 10 gave final approval to changes, effective immediately, that surely will help animal control officers – and ultimately many small critters such as cats and dogs. Acting on complaints from concerned residents, Horry County control officers in March removed more than 100 dogs and two birds from three locations in Conway and Loris. Many of the dogs were in outdoor stacked cages. The conditions were deplorable by any resonable, humane standard. Owners were fined and ordered to pay restitution to the Horry County Animal Care Center.
Councilman Al Allen, chairman of the Public Safety Committee, in September described the changes as taking a reasonable approach ... “while maintaining the freedom of individual animal owners.” One of the most important aspects is authorizing animal control officers to inspect breeding locations as well as stores selling pets. A puppy or kitten mill is defined as an entity that puts profits above the welfare of the animals. A breeder, as distinct from individual animal owners, is one who has 25 or more cats or dogs for sale in a 365-day period.
Exempted are animal shelters, humane societies and other rescue organizations or those regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Animals may not be sold until they are 8 weeks old; all animals must have inoculations by a veterinarian. Some may question that requirement when it seems that breeders could vaccinate their animals.
Kim Kelly, S.C. state director for the Humane Society of the United States, praised the Horry County changes, noting that they are needed. Kelly and other animal welfare advocates are considerably less pleased with legislation (S 687) in the S.C. Senate Agriculture Committee. Promoted by the S.C. Association of Veterinarians, the legislation would restrict mobile veterinarian clinics and the services shelters can provide.
The legisation is formally opposed by several state organizations, including the S.C. Animal Legislative Coalition and the Humane Society. Concerns about the anti-competition nature of the bill extend to municipalities and various nonprofits. It has cleared a subcommittee of the Senate Agriculture Committee, which has a Dec. 1 hearing in Columbia.
Other needed animal welfare measures are pending in the General Assembly, including a “cost of care” bill (S 680) requiring owners of confiscated animals to pay for their care. Sen. Luke Rankin of Myrtle Beach has been the leading sponsor of S 680, also sponsored by Sen. Greg Hembree of Little River. The bill is a holdover from the first year of the session. Hembree also notes a pending comprehensive bill that addresses oversight of shelters and other concerns of animal advocates.
Hembree says, “I applaud the county” for moving forward with the stronger ordinance. The two big unresolved issues of funding infrastructure and education could largely consume the second year of the session. “I’m not predicting that” necessarily will be the case. Should animal welfare legislation be delayed in the General Assembly, Horry County’s improved ordinance will be all the more timely.
This story was originally published November 16, 2015 at 9:56 AM with the headline "Small animal management ordinance unanimously approved by Horry County Council."