June, 2021

Kelly Crouch, CFA Legislative Information Liaison
Sharon Coleman, CFA Legislative Legal Analyst

The proposed Burke County ordinance, first discussed in the September 2020 What’s Hot , was amended for the May 18, 2021 Board of Commissioners meeting and adopted in part. In this revision, breeder permits were replaced by other breeder mandates. They included screening programs for “known inheritable diseases or potentially disabling health defects,” health records and certificates, and screening tools to ensure buyers will maintain the standards of care required by law. Violations would result in a first warning followed by civil penalties for subsequent violations. After three violations within a 12 month period, sterilization of unaltered animals could be required at the discretion of Burke County Animal Services. The proposed ordinance also included a voluntary Community Breeder Ambassador Program with participants subject to mandatory inspections. The Board did not vote on these sections.

One of the Board members stated that feedback received was almost 50/50 for and against the proposal. He further commented the Board is failing the community if there were not 75-80% people supporting an ordinance change. He was also the only Board member to vote against the sections that were adopted. These sections were 6-12 chaining and tethering, 6-73 reclamation by owner, and 6-131 general enforcement.

Recent CFA Legislative Group Blog Posts: What’s Hot………… California AB 702 – California Breeder Licensing Bill Update, May 2021

EDITOR’S NOTE: For more information on the evolution of this ordinance, see NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING – ANIMAL ORDINANCE – MAY 18, 2021 that includes the draft copy.