Help N.C. pass a more appropriate Animal Control Ordinance

WAXHAW, N.C. A 5-year-old North Carolina girl has been killed after she was attacked by two loose pit bulldogs.  The girl's great-grandmother, 67-year-old Nancy Presson, was hurt when she tried to save the girl. Presson suffered bites and scratches on her shoulder and arms.   We need to ban together to push for new restrictions and renewed debate about the dangers posed by pit bulls.

All dogs and cats over six months of age must have and wear a city pet tag.  You may purchase a pet tag at the Police Department, upon providing a certificate from your veterinarian showing such dog / cat is current with their rabies vaccination. The license is good from June to June.  The tag must be on the dog / cat at all times.

No dogs / cats are allowed to run at large.  An animal running at large may be impounded and a citation issued to the owner.

If the animal is impounded, the owner of the animal will pay all boarding costs assessed during the time of the impoundment. If the animal is found to be without city tags, the animal will not be released until the owner has purchased a city tag for the animal(s).  All pets must be confined to their owners property by a leash, pen or in a owners home, but NEVER running loose.

Dogs and cats are not allowed on school grounds.

Any animal in heat must be confined in a closed building.

Dogs and cats are not allowed to destroy property.

Owners shall provide humane care for their animals such as food, water, shelter, exercise and health care by a veterinarian as needed. 

Every owner shall have control over their animal so it does not become a public nuisance, such as barking excessively, running at large, destroying property, chasing vehicles, etc.

No one will have more than 2 dogs or 2 cats without consent of the city officials.  For information on how to obtain consent contact the city clerks office. 

If your dog or cat bites or attacks a person or another animal, it must be impounded for a period of not less than 30 days (or deemed necessary by the court) with all boarding costs going to the owner.  At this time the animal will fall into the guidelines of a vicious animal.

The vicious animal ordinance states that the following animals are considered by breed to be vicious: Pit bull, Staffordshire bull terrier, American pit bull, American Staffordshire terrier, Rottweiler and Wolf-hybrid (or any dog which has the appearance and characteristics of being predominant of the above breeds),  Owners of these animals have specific requirements in keeping these animals within the city limits.   The owner has 10 days to comply.   Failure to comply will result in the animal being impounded and the issuance of citations. 

Any violation of these ordinances may result in the impoundment of the animal(s) and citations being issued to the owners of the animal(s)