Animal shelter under construction

The construction of the new Pike County Animal Shelter Facility on County Farm Road is well under way despite setbacks due to the global pandemic and inclement weather. When finished, the shelter will cost a total of around $300,000 (with $225,000 donated by the CLC Foundation) and provide 2,950 square foot of space with 10 separate kennel runs in addition to two separate isolation runs and quarantine runs for animals who might be sick or too aggressive to be around others. It will also include an office, break room, a visiting sitting room for volunteers and those adopting pets and a veterinarian/animal exam room. ’Once the building and grounds department has a guaranteed completion date, the county will start planning a ribbon cutting event for the citizens to come out and tour the new facility,’ said county manager Brandon Rogers. While the county’s animal control office and the animal shelter are two separate entities, animal control officer Tanya Perkins is one of the seven members on the Pike County Animal Shelter board. Other board members include Ruth Chandler on behalf of the CLC Foundation, David Allen, former Pike animal control officer, Suzanne Aaron, president of Coco’s Cupboard, police chief Novin Darsey of the Molena Police Department, Chad Morris of the Zebulon Police Department, veterinarian Daniel Roberts and citizen Julie Smith. One person from each municipality in Pike can volunteer to serve on the board as well although they do not have voting rights and the only person to volunteer so far is Steve Fry, mayor of Williamson. The first board meeting is currently being planned. Rogers said no policies have been outlined for the adopting/placing of strays in the shelter. ’For the foreseeable future the county is going to continue to operate under the current ordinances,’ he said. ’People need to know an animal shelter and animal control are two different things,’ said animal control officer Tanya Perkins. ‘In reference to animal control, I would advise the citizens to read the Chapter 91 Animal Control Ordinance for Pike County. As animal control officer and director, it is my duty to enforce the Pike County Animal Control Ordinance. The animal shelter should have its own separate ordinance in place to be run as a shelter.’The following are a few definitions from Section 91.04 of the Animal Control Ordinance for Pike County.A ‘DANGEROUS DOG’ is one that:a) Causes a substantial puncture of a person’s skin by teeth without causing serious injury; provided, however, that a nip, scratch, or abrasion shall not be sufficient to classify a dog as dangerous under this subparagraph;b) Aggressively attacks in a manner that causes a person to reasonably believe that the dog posed an imminent threat of serious injury to such person or another person although no such injury occurs; provided, however, that the acts of barking, growling, or showing of teeth by a dog shall not be sufficient to classify a dog as dangerous under this subparagraph; or’¨c) While off the owner’s property, kills a pet animal; provided, however, that this subparagraph shall not apply where the death of such pet animal is caused by a dog that is working or training as a hunting dog, to predator control dog.Per the ordinance (section 91.04 Z), a ‘VICIOUS DOG’ is: any dog that inflicts serious injury on a person or causes serious injury to a person resulting from reasonable attempts to escape from the dog’s attack.Per the ordinance (section 91.04 R), a ‘NUISANCE DOG’ is one that:a. Attacks or acts so as to menace citizens off of its owner’s property, or attacks or acts as a menace to pedestrians or other persons using public ways.b. Attacks or acts to menace pets or livestock off its owner property.c. Repeatedly runs at-large, causing destruction or theft of personal property while at-large, causing and accumulation of waste on another person’s property while at large and/or harassing a property owner while at-large; or e. Is left in unsanitary conditions causing excessive odors, etc.Minimum, local fine amounts for violations of the Pike County Animal Control Ordinance Plus court costs:1) Dangerous and vicious dog incidents involving pets only: $2502) Dangerous and vicious dog incidents involving humans: $5003) Animal nuisance incidents: $1005) Dumping of animals along roadways or abandoning animals on properties, and other instances of animal cruelty: $5006) Dogs running-at-large in restraint districts: $507) Failure to provide proper rabies inoculations: $1008) Keeping of wildlife or exotic animals without county approval: $500.