Your neighbors’ dogs smell? County considering law that would address that - By Michael Barrett
Area residents who’ve been pinching their noses because of their neighbors’ smelly outdoor pets could soon get some relief.
Proposed changes to Gaston County’s animal control ordinance would give the county more authority to address odor-based animal nuisances.
The rewrite of the entire ordinance was presented to Gaston County commissioners last week.
They could approve it as soon as Feb. 28.
“It strengthens and clarifies the current ordinance,” said Animal Control administrator Reggie Horton, speaking to the county board Thursday. “It gives us the ability to address the number of animals involved in a nuisance, the size of the area they’re on, and whether the owner should have to put down lime or another odor-control substance.”
Odor complaints tend to be some of the most common involving pets — particularly multiple dogs being housed in an outdoor pen, Horton said Monday. But the language in the current ordinance doesn’t define odor alone as a valid nuisance.
Animal control officers investigating such complaints have had to look for other wrongdoing that may be causing the odor, even if a foul smell is obvious. But there’s often no evidence of animal cruelty, the animal lot is clean and all the pets have up-to-date shots, Horton said.
“If you’re the one smelling it when the wind’s blowing in the wrong direction, that can certainly be an obstacle to you enjoying your own property,” Horton said. “But there was really nothing there allowing us to enforce it.”
A reeking pet wouldn’t be allowed to wreak havoc if the ordinance changes.
“We were left with a situation that really fell through the cracks,” Horton said. “Now that crack’s been filled in.”
The ordinance change would also give animal control officers more authority to address dangerous nuisance situations. Pet owners would be required to fix a broken fence that a dog might be able to escape through, for example.
“Before, we could only suggest that,” Horton said. “Now we (would) have the authority to require the owner to do it.”
Horton worked on the rewrite in recent months with the county’s Animal Control Task Force Advisory Board.
Commissioner Pearl Burris Floyd said the attention to updating the ordinance was timely and important. As pets become more prevalent in people’s lives, the county must ensure its laws are up to speed, she said Thursday.
“The multi-billion-dollar pet industry is too big to be ignored,” Floyd said.
You can reach Michael Barrett at 704-869-1826.