Animal control has been a topic at meetings recently, and people have been interested in what can be done.
At the December Macon County Board of Commissioners meeting, Commissioner John Shearl asked about a “problem dog” on Lake Emory Road. Shearl said the county’s animal control officer didn’t do anything about the dog when called out.
Macon County Public Health’s Population Health Section Administrator Jimmy Villiard said the county’s animal control officer couldn’t do anything except issue a citation because the animal was on its owner’s property.
Shearl didn’t offer an animal control solution, but suggested the county divest from animal services, saying he gets multiple phone calls from people complaining about animal services.
In July 2023, several public speakers complained about what they felt was the ineffectiveness of Macon County Animal Services, citing examples of multiple calls going unheeded. This came a month after the commissioners specifically removed a budget request to convert an administrative animal control job into an on-the-road animal control job.
The commissioners heard a request last month to convert an unfilled environmental health staff member to a shelter attendant, but Board Chair Josh Young said he would rather discuss it during budget season in the spring.
During the last several years, Macon County Health Department, which oversees Animal Services, says the animal intake rates have increased and staffing rates have remained the same.
County animal ordinance
According to Macon County ordinances, the Animal Control Program shall “Be empowered to issue notices of violation, assess civil penalties for violations of this chapter, and issue citations when authorized by this ordinance or state law.”
The Macon County ordinance details what is unlawful related to the mistreatment of animals. Civil penalties start at $25 for the first violation and then go to $50 for any subsequent violations. Enforcement of criminal penalties can be used as an abatement.
Animal control officers have no arrest powers and are not authorized to carry firearms.
The county’s animal control ordinance covers “vicious animals.” However, animal control can only impound an animal that has “behaved viciously and is at large or off the premises of its owner and not restrained by a competent person.”
“Security dogs” must be registered with Macon County Animal Services, with a “Beware of Dog” sign prominent to inform people of their presence.
Villiard said Macon County must follow certain state animal laws. These include penalties for animal cruelty, abandonment, dog fighting, cockfighting, poisoning animals, not protecting livestock, killing protected wildlife species, violating hunting laws or inhumane transportation of animals.
Criminal violations can be punished by fines not exceeding $50 and imprisonment not to exceed 30 days.
Town animal ordinances
While Macon County Animal Services receives hundreds of service calls each year, Town of Franklin Code Enforcement Officer Angela Green said in the last year there were three or four total in the Town of Franklin.
“I had a few calls last year, mainly chickens, getting loose and getting into neighbors’ yards, eating flowers and doing what they do in the yard,” Green said, noting she also proactively patrols around town.
Green says she feels like there is a small number of animal calls due to town’s density as it would be dangerous for dogs to be running around.
“Most of the pushback that I’ve received, once I’m able to communicate with the property owner of the how’s and why’s behind everything, everything usually ends up pretty amicable,” Green said.
Green said Macon County Animal Services has jurisdiction over Franklin, so if an animal needs to be taken, they can do so. Macon County Animal Services takes in animals left behind after their owners are arrested county-wide. The Town of Franklin doesn’t have a shelter, so any intake must be through Macon County Animal Services.
Villiard said most animals taken in through seizure orders were abandoned. Nuisance animals go through the county’s fine system.
Franklin has rules against animals at large and restrictions on hogs, fowl (chickens, turkeys, roosters) and dead animals within town limits that are nuisances. Persons found refusing to abate the nuisance within 24 hours from notification can be guilty of a misdemeanor and issued a fine of not more than $50 and imprisoned for 30 days or less. If a person in Franklin has a hog, swine, sow or boar within 500 feet of any occupied dwelling, essentially meaning all of Franklin’s town limits, the town code calls for a fine of $1 each day the owner is not in compliance.
However, Green said she’s had little issues with getting people to comply.