The City of Charlotte employs Animal Care & Control (AC&C) Officers who enforce municipal, Mecklenburg County and North Carolina state animal welfare laws. They respond to any such issues within the city or county limits and in the towns of Davidson, Pineville and Mint Hill.
Local ordinances require all dog owners to show proof that their animal is up-to-date with their rabies vaccinations to apply for a license for their dog. Fees vary depending on whether an owner’s pet is sterile or fertile.
Both the city and county have strict leash laws in place. Owners must fence-in their dogs. They can only leave their pets off their leash within the enclosed yard if they are capable of responding to their owner’s commands. They can also remove them while their dog is at a designated dog park.
The ordinances also specify how owners who walk their dogs must restrain their dogs at all times. They can’t just carry the leash as the canine roams ahead of them.
City and county officials may designate some dogs as dangerous. and require owners to purchase liability insurance once they do. They may also have them enclose their dogs in a fence with a top, command them to place warning signs on their property, place a muzzle on their dog or have their dog tattooed warning of the danger they pose.
North Carolina law requires owners who have dogs with up-to-date rabies vaccinations to quarantine them for 10 days following a biting incident. Any canine owner who cannot produce recent shot records must place their dog at a veterinary hospital or shelter for the quarantine’s duration.
State law also requires all urgent care facilities, family doctors, emergency rooms and hospitals to notify animal welfare officials of any bite so that they can dispatch an AC&C officer to investigate what happened.
Rabies is a real danger that individuals have to worry about when a dog bites them. Canine teeth are quite sharp, and dogs’ mouths are full of bacteria, both of which can increase a person’s risk of severe nerve damage and infection. North Carolina law may allow you to hold a property owner accountable for a canine attack. An attorney can advise you of the steps to take to hold a Charlotte resident or business owner responsible for their canine’s actions.
