The following penalties shall pertain to violations of this chapter:
(A) The violation of any provision of this chapter shall be a misdemeanor and any person convicted of such violation shall be punishable as provided in G.S. § 14-4 or other applicable law. Each day's violation of this chapter is a separate offense. Payment of a fine imposed in criminal proceedings pursuant to this section does not relieve a person of his or her liability of fees imposed under this chapter.
(B) Enforcement of this chapter may include any appropriate equitable remedy, injunction or order of abatement issuing from a court of competent jurisdiction pursuant to G.S. § 153A-123(d) and (e).
(C) In addition to and independent of any criminal penalties and other sanctions provided in this chapter, a violation of this chapter may also subject the offender to the civil penalties hereinafter set forth.
(1) The Animal Control Supervisor, or designee, may issue to the known owner or keeper of any animal, or to any other violator of the provisions of this chapter, a ticket or citation giving notice of the alleged violations(s). Tickets or citations so issued may be delivered in person or mailed by certified or registered mail to the person charged if that person cannot readily be found. The ticket or citation, except those issued for failure to license an animal, shall
impose upon the violator a minimum civil penalty of $75, or such greater amounts for subsequent offenses as may be set by the ordinance. Tickets or citations issued for failure to license an animal as required by the ordinance shall impose upon the violator a penalty of $50. This civil penalty shall be paid in full to the Town Hall within 14 days of receipt of the citation assessing the civil penalty. This civil penalty is in addition to any other fees, fines or costs authorized by this chapter.
(2) In the event that the owner or keeper of an animal or other alleged violator does not appear in response to the above-described ticket or citation, or the applicable civil penalty is not paid within the time period prescribed, a civil action may be commenced to recover the penalty and costs associated with collection of the penalty, and/or a criminal summons may be issued against the owner or keeper or other alleged violator of this chapter, and upon conviction, the owner shall be punished as provided by state law.
(3) The following civil penalties are hereby established for the indicated violations of this chapter:
Animal Control Civil Penalty Fee Schedule
Violation Description | Fee |
Violation Description | Fee |
Interference of duty of any animal control division employee or agent or trap | $100 |
Concealment of animal for the purpose of evading ordinance | $100 |
Vicious animals | $500 |
Rabies vaccination tag and certificate | $50 |
Keeping stray animal | $50 |
Animals running at large: | |
First violation | Warning |
Second violation | $75 |
Third and subsequent violations | $100 |
Public nuisance: | |
First violation | Warning |
Second violation | $75 |
Third and subsequent violations | $100 |
Tethering of animals: | |
First violation | Warning |
Second violation | $75 |
Third and subsequent violations | $100 |
Failure to confine female animals in estrus: | |
First violation | Warning |
Second violation | $75 |
Third and subsequent violations | $100 |
(Ord. passed 5-8-2018)