§ I. General provisions.

A.

Short Title. This ordinance shall be known and may be cited as the Union County Animal Control Ordinance.

B.

Authority. This ordinance is authorized by:

N. C. Gen. Stat. 153A-121;

N. C. Gen. Stat. 153A-123;

N. C. Gen. Stat. 153A-127;

N. C. Gen. Stat. 153A-131;

N. C. Gen. Stat. 130A-184 et seq.;

N. C. Gen. Stat. 67-30; and

N. C. Gen. Stat. 67-4.1 et seq.

C.

Purpose. The purposes of this ordinance are to provide for the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Union County and to protect them from rabies transmitted by unconfined, uncontrolled or unimmunized dogs and cats, to regulate dogs and other animals that may be a nuisance or a danger to humans, and to insure that dogs and other animals are treated in a humane manner, and other purposes.

D.

Repeal of Former Ordinances. The ordinance entitled "Dog and Cat Nuisance Ordinance" adopted by the Union County Board of Commissioners, February 18, 1987, and the ordinance entitled "Dog Nuisance Ordinance" adopted by the Board on November 20, 1978 are hereby repealed.

E.

Interference. It shall be unlawful for any person to interfere with, hinder or molest the Chief Animal Control Officer, any Animal Control Officer or other certified law officers, or their agents, or veterinarians, in the performance of any duty authorized by this ordinance.

F.

Unseizable Animals. Notwithstanding any other provision of this ordinance to the contrary, an animal may be humanely destroyed by gunshot upon order of the Health Director. The Health Director may take such action if reasonably satisfied that:

(i)

The animal cannot be seized by reasonable means; and

(ii)

The owner of the animal cannot be identified; and

(iii)

The animal is injured or diseased, or the animal is a threat to the public health, or the animal is a chronic nuisance.

G.

Conflict. Insofar as the provisions of this ordinance are inconsistent with the provisions of any other law except a provision of state or federal law, the provisions of this ordinance shall control.

Whenever any provision of this ordinance refers to or cites a section of the North Carolina General Statutes and that section is later amended or superseded, the ordinance shall be deemed amended to refer to the amended section or the section that most nearly corresponds to the superseded section.

H.

Severability. If any part of this ordinance or any portion of any provision thereof, or the application thereof to any person or condition, is held invalid such invalidity shall not affect other parts of this ordinance or their application to any other person or condition, and to this end, the provisions of this ordinance are hereby declared to be severable.

I.

Complaints. A person or persons lodging a complaint or complaints relating to a violation of this ordinance shall be responsible for filing the complaint with the appropriate judicial authority.