(A) It shall be unlawful for any person to molest, torture, torment, deprive of necessary sustenance, cruelly beat, needlessly mutilate or kill, wound, injure, poison, abandon or subject to conditions detrimental to its health or general welfare any animal, or to cause or procure such action. The words
TORTURE and TORMENT shall be held to include every act, omission or neglect where unjustifiable physical pain, suffering or death is caused or permitted; but such terms shall not be construed to prohibit an animals' owner, a veterinarian, an animal control officer or his agents from destroying dangerous, unwanted or injured animals in a humane manner. For the purposes of this chapter, hunting or fishing as allowed by the North Carolina General Statutes shall not be misconstrued to be cruelty to animals.
(B) The Animal Control Division shall investigate all complaints of abandoned animals on private property and a determination of true status shall be reported to the Chief of Police before the welfare and health of such animal has been damaged. Any such animal that is found to have been without necessary sustenance of a period for 48 hours shall be removed from the premises and placed in the animal control shelter. The owner shall then be notified pursuant to § 94.13 and redemption by the owner of such animal shall be in conformance with § 94.14