County council launches third attempt at Animal Control ordinance

[media-credit id=18 align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]York County Council took another stab at updating the county’s Animal Control ordinance Thursday, as the county’s public safety committee addressed several revised changes to the law.

In its form now, the ordinance calls for county Animal Control officers to assume responsibility for enforcing the updated code from the Sheriff’s Office, requires the sterilization of a female dog tethered outside and identifies so-called bully breeds that are known to be dangerous.

York County Councilman Bump Roddey, who chairs the Public Safety committee, says this is the third time the county has sought to update the ordinance in the past year.

Council members and county staff spent several minutes discussing the issue of bully breeds — like pit bulls — that have attacked children and caused serious injury in the past few months. Ashlei Blair says she’s fine with county cracking down on owners of vicious dogs.

Roddey says after multiple incidents this past year, part of these changes seek to protect those who’ve been attacked by vicious animals.

County Veterinarian Sonya McCathey says the proposed changes could go very far in helping to protect the public — and help fight the problem of animal overpopulation.

Roddey says this proposed ordinance, as it stands now, just makes sense.

Council Chairman Britt Blackwell told the committee his son had a portion of his lower lip sheared off by a Pit Bull at age 9. He says it’s time for the council to stop ‘kicking the can’ of this ordinance, telling county staff to assemble a plan that will work and protect both the animals and the public.

Blackwell says he’d like to see this proposed ordinance before the council later this month. If approved this fall, it would then go to the individual municipalities in York County for final adoption.

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