Camden County hires first animal control officer

CAMDEN COUNTY, N.C. 

Animal control in Camden County now has more teeth.

Sheriff Tony Perry hired the county's first animal control officer last month and plans to more strictly enforce an ordinance that requires residents to pay a $5 annual registration fee for cats and dogs.

Rabies shots and registrations required for kennels would be more closely monitored. Perry plans to hold an event soon to publicize plans for better enforcement of existing pet regulations, he said.

"We should have done this sooner," Perry said.

Much of the effort comes after unprecedented growth in recent years.

From 2000 to 2008, Camden County grew by 40.6 percent to 9,682 people in 3,752 households, according to census estimates. Camden has an estimated 2,373 dogs and 2,674 cats, according to an American Veterinary Medical Association formula based on average number of households that own pets. If all pet owners paid the $5 registration, Camden would collect annual revenue exceeding $25,000.

But only 27 have registered their pets and paid the fee, Perry said. Nine have registered kennels, defined as owning five or more cats or three or more dogs.

New animal control officer William Sawyer works part-time, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

In the last budget year, animal control officers from Pasquotank County serviced Camden County for an annual payment of $45,446, including about $21,000 paid to the animal shelter in Elizabeth City, Perry said. The budget will stay the same with $18,900 going to the shelter, said Camden finance director Clarann Mansfield.

Camden also received a truck equipped with dog and cat traps from Pasquotank County. Camden had contributed earlier to the purchase of animal control trucks.

From January through June, nine cats and six dogs were taken to the shelter, Perry said. Sawyer's biggest job so far is helping neighbors get along after animal disputes.

"I've had to be the peacemaker," he said. "I tell them when I go there, try to be good neighbors."

Some incidents are serious, and some are not.

In his first week, a girl was bitten by a neighbor's dog. Sawyer and the sheriff responded. The girl had puncture wounds but was otherwise all right. Although the dog had been vaccinated for rabies, it was the second time it had bitten someone. The neighbor had the dog euthanized, Sawyer said.

A resident called to report that a neighbor's dog was outside without water. Sawyer discovered the dog had ample food and water. He reported his findings to the caller.

Sawyer responded when a man reported his chicken had been killed by the neighbor's dog. The man acknowledged his chickens had gone onto the neighbor's property and no one actually saw the dog kill the chicken. Sawyer did not issue a citation, the dog remained at home and neighbors were pacified.

Last week, while he was off-duty, Sawyer found a snake curled by the refrigerator in his church kitchen. He disposed of the snake without incident.

On Wednesday, Sawyer was called out on a report a dog had been hit by a pickup.

When he arrived at the site, the beagle was cowering under a briar bush. As Sawyer reached in, the dog growled, so he used the capture pole for the first time.

"Once I got her out and petted her, she was OK," Sawyer said. "I was able to pick her up and put her in the truck."

The beagle was wearing a collar with tags and a phone number. The dog had only minor injuries and not a broken leg as feared, so she was taken to the Elizabeth City Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals until the owner could collect her.

Animal control is the latest of several public services taken on by Camden County, which has a history of sharing departments with neighboring counties.

In 2002, the county built its own reverse-osmosis water plant, weaning itself from Elizabeth City water. The county created its first planning and recreation departments in 2006, after sharing with Pasquotank County.

Jeff Hampton, (252) 338-0159, jeff.hampton@pilotonline.com