Robbinsville – While the board of aldermen continue to get their ducks in a row concerning a proposed “loitering” ordinance, another by-law is working to get cleaned up, as well.
A much-publicized case last year was thrown out, when then-assistant district attorney Caleb Decker proposed that Michael and Katlyn Eddings have the vocal chords of their Great Pyrenees “Diesel” removed, in order to rectify a dispute between the Eddings and an adjacent neighbor, David Hall. Hall had contended for months that the dog constantly barked – preventing his ailing wife from resting – while the Eddings countered with a claim that the dog rarely barked and Hall had harassed the family concerning Diesel.
Decker’s proposal may or may not have led to his dismissal soon thereafter – district attorney Ashley Welch would not confirm the rumor – but the dismissal of the case meant Hall was back to square one, as his complaints to the Graham County Sheriff’s Office had led to the Eddings’ being cited in the first place.
Many months later, the Town of Robbinsville is trying to see if its animal-control ordinance can help.
But during a discussion about the ordinance at the May 3 meeting, a major flaw was discovered: nobody knew where the existing ordinance was.
Robbinsville’s town attorney M. Ellen Davis had caught onto this and took the time to draft a new ordinance for the board’s review.
With town employees scavenging the books inside the mayor’s office (where town meetings are held), the ordinance was finally located.
First drafted in 2006, the 8-page guideline relies heavily on the presence of a supposed animal control officer, which is not present in Graham County. Civil penalties are $100 a day under the 17-year-old ordinance and must be paid to the animal control officer.
However, the law (labeled “2006-001: An Ordinance to Regulate the Care and Control of Animals”) fails to specify what more can be done – except the transportation and possible euthanasia of the animal.
The board agreed that it was not interested in broaching either method, but said it would approach Graham County Sheriff Brad Hoxit on the best way to enforce the ordinance – once Davis melded the 2006 law and her proposal together.