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Murphy – Cherokee County Commissioner Jan Griggs has drafted an animal control ordinance that would create two animal control officer positions within the sheriff’s office.
Griggs said the draft ordinance came after months of work in consultation with the sheriff’s office, attorneys and the Valley River Humane Society. She presented it on June 26 and sought the board’s go-ahead.
“I don’t want to waste time if it doesn’t have support from the board,” she said.
Commissioner Ben Adams said the proposal “needs some work” but is worth pursuing, while Commissioner Dan Eichenbaum suggested Griggs compare her draft with what is required by the state. Board Chair Cal Stiles said the issue may require its own work session.
The board voted to continue developing the ordinance. Griggs asked board members to study the draft and send her feedback by Thursday so she could come back with a refined version for a vote during the July 17 commission meeting.
The ordinance would create two new positions that would require funding. Although the animal control officers would be part of the sheriff’s office and would be armed, they would not necessarily be sworn sheriff’s deputies.
Sheriff Dustin Smith told the board that having animal control officers not be sworn deputies will prevent them from being diverted to other uses.
Although the issue was not a public hearing, three people spoke during the public forum portion of the June 26 meeting to support a stronger animal control ordinance.
Dan West, a Cherokee County resident, was bicycling on Harshaw Road in late May when he was surrounded by four dogs, including one that bit his ankle four times. He said the wound became swollen and he couldn’t walk, as it felt like he was injected with venom.
“You should be able to be on a county road, or in the county, and be safe,” he said.
“If it was a child, that child would have been drug down the street. You need to do something from a public safety standpoint.”
Cherokee County Board of Education member Jeff Tatham of Andrews also spoke, saying the current laws are insufficient in dealing with vicious dogs, which are often repeat offenders. He was attacked by a dog when he was a child, and dog bites are not a minor thing.
However, Tatham also said he was concerned about dogs being stolen. Someone tried to take his dogs, including one that tried to bite the person as a result, which in that situation he felt was justified. Under the ordinance, that dog would be classified as vicious.
Tatham said he is worried about how enforcement would be funded, adding that he was nervous about government intrusion.
Rod Fortney, a county resident and president of the Southern Appalachian Bicycle Association, said he has had numerous encounters with vicious dogs while riding his bicycle. The problem is people not controlling their dogs.
Fortney said tourism in the county could be affected if “word gets out about dogs out of control” in Cherokee County.