§ 4-11. Animal cruelty/general care and prohibited acts.

All animals shall be kept and treated under sanitary and humane conditions.

(1)

Food, water and shelter . All animals in the possession of any persons shall be provided proper and adequate food and water. All animals shall be given at suitable intervals not to exceed 24 hours, a quantity of foodstuff suitable for the species and age, sufficient to maintain a healthful level of nutrition. All animals shall have access to a constant supply of clean, fresh water. All animals shall be provided proper and adequate shelter from the weather at all times.

(2)

Sanitary shelter . All shelter for animals and the area surrounding said shelter shall be kept clean at all times.

(3)

Veterinary medical treatment . All owners or possessors of animals shall provide proper veterinary medical attention for sick, diseased or injured animals. A sick animal shall go no longer than 24 hours without veterinary care.

(4)

Cruelty and cruel treatment . No person shall beat, torment, tease, injure or lure an animal or otherwise cruelly treat an animal.

(5)

Illegal contest or combat . No person shall cause, permit or instigate any dogfight, cockfight, or other illegal contest or combat between animals or animals and humans.

(6)

Poisoning of animals . No person shall expose any known poisonous substance or mix a poisonous substance with food so that it will likely be eaten by any animal.

(7)

Confinement of animals in motor vehicles .

a.

In order to protect the health and safety of an animal, any animal control officer, animal cruelty investigator appointed under G.S. 19A-45, law enforcement officer, firefighter, or rescue squad worker, who has probable cause to believe that an animal is confined in a motor vehicle under conditions that are likely to cause suffering, injury, or death to the animal due to heat, cold, lack of adequate ventilation, or under other endangering conditions, may enter the motor vehicle by any reasonable means under the circumstances after making a reasonable effort to locate the owner or other person responsible for the animal (G.S. 14-363.3).

b.

Nothing in this section shall be construed to apply to the transportation of horses, cattle, sheep, swine, poultry, or other livestock.

c.

Any person found to be cruelly treating, neglecting or intentionally harming an animal shall be subject to criminal or civil proceedings, or to any other remedy provided for under G.S. 19A-23, G.S. 14-360 or G.S. 160A-175. Civil fines for violations are set in the town's fee schedule maintained at Town Hall.

(Ord. of 2-12-2002, art. VIII, § 1; Amend. of 4-12-2011; Amend. of 1-14-2014)