Animal
Cruelty and Animal Control
Animal Cruelty
Lumpkin County Animal
Control
 Lumpkin County Animal
Control Definitions
Owners' Responsibilities
Responsibilities
for Owners of Guard Dogs
TLC Humane Society vs. Lumpkin County Animal
Control
Contact information for Lumpkin County Animal Shelter
What
is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, men would die from great
loneliness of spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man.
All things are connected.
---Chief Seattle (Duwamish tribe)
What
Is Animal Cruelty?
Animal
cruelty is a failure to provide necessary medical care, adequate food and water,
daily exercise, clean and sanitary conditions, adequate shelter from the
elements or leaving an animal in a vehicle in hot weather.
It
is cruel to:
- Kill,
abuse, maim or disfigure an animal
- Give
poison to an animal or exposes a poisonous substance with intent to poison an
animal
- Overload,
overdrive, torture, torment or deprive an animal of necessary medical care,
sustenance or shelter
- Beat,
mutilate, or kill any animal or cause the same to be done
- Leave
unattended or carry in or upon vehicles without proper restraint or ventilation
- Confine
an animal and fail to supply sufficient quantities of wholesome food and water
- Keep
an animal in any enclosure without wholesome exercise and change of air
- Fail
to maintain in a clean and sanitary condition, free from extreme and
unreasonably objectionable odor, any and all structures, pens, yards and areas
next to where an animal is kept
- Fail
to provide bedding and adequate shelter from the elements for any animal kept
outdoors
- Own,
possess, keep or train any animal with the intent that such animal shall be
engaged in an exhibition of fighting
- Encourage,
instigate, promote, or assist in an exhibition of animal fighting
Call
the Lumpkin County Sheriff's office at 706-864-3633
and report suspected animal cruelty, neglect, or nuisance to Officer Walter
Pyle, the Lumpkin County Animal Control Officer. Animal Control can issue the
pet owners a citation and work to remedy the situation.
A
Summary of the Lumpkin County Animal Control Regulations
The
animal control officer is subject to the Lumpkin County Sheriff's department
policies and procedures, and is responsible for enforcing the Lumpkin County
animal control regulations and all other state statutes concerning domestic
animals.
The
animal control officer classifies the dangerous animals and dangerous animal
owners within the unincorporated areas of the county.
Definitions
for the Lumpkin County Resolution
The
following definitions are taken from the Lumpkin County Animal Control
Regulations, attached to Resolution 97-8.
Abandoned
animal:
Any domestic animal unattended or uncared for in excess of 36 hours without food
and water.
Animal
at large:
Any animal not under restraint.
Animal
under restraint:
Any domestic animal is considered under restraint when it is:
- Within
the property limits of the owner
- Within
the property limits of another with the consent of the owner
- Controlled
by a secure leash or lead
- At
heel or beside a competent person and is obedient to the person's commands
- Secured
or restrained within a vehicle
Dangerous
animal: A
dangerous animal is defined under this resolution in the following
conditions.
- The
animal has inflicted significant injury on a person without provocation.
- The
owner has been notified that the animal has been classified as a dangerous
animal and has bitten, attacked, or endangered the safety of a person.
- The
animal has been classified as a potentially dangerous animal and is not being
kept and restrained in compliance with the regulations.
Domestic
animal:
Any animal that is kept for companionship, amusement, or protection.
Guard
dog: Any
dog trained or expected to threaten or attack persons or other animals to
protect persons or property where the dog is located.
Owner:
Any person or legal entity having custody or control of a domestic animal.
Potentially
dangerous animal:
Any specific animal or breed of animal that threatens any person or other
domestic animal without provocation.
Proper
enclosure:
An enclosure on the owner's property that prevents the entry of small children,
prevents small children from releasing the animal, and prevents the animal from
escaping. The structure also should provide protection from the elements.
Severe
injury:
Any physical injury that results in broken bones or disfiguring lacerations
requiring multiple sutures or cosmetic surgery, or a physical injury that
results in death.
Significant
injury: A
physical injury that requires professional medical attention.
Stray
animal:
Any animal at large whose owner is not known.
What
Are The Responsibilities Of The Animal Owner?
- Control:
The owner must keep the animal under control. Hunting dogs may be loose if the
property is fenced, and the property owner consents.
- Abandonment:
It is unlawful for an owner to knowingly abandon a dog in the unincorporated
area of the county.
- Identification:
The owner must place a tag, badge or other marking identifying the animal's
name, the owner's name, and the owner's address and telephone number. The owner
has the responsibility of changing the tag within 30 days of any changes in the
information. This does not apply to any animal that is in a proper enclosure, on
a leash, and under the control of a responsible person.
- Rabies
Vaccination: Any
domestic animal over three months of age must have current rabies vaccinations
and the tags must be on the collar or harness of the animal as prescribed by the
Georgia Department of Human Resources.
Additional
Responsibilities for Owners of Guard Dogs
There are
additional responsibilities for anyone who maintains guard dogs in an area for
the protection of persons or property.
- Confined:
The dog shall be confined in an enclosed area adequate to ensure that it does
not escape, or the dog shall be under the absolute control of a handler at all
times when not securely enclosed.
- Warnings:
The owner must post warnings near all exterior doors and at each driveway. The
sign must be readable from the curb line or from 50 feet, and shall have the
phone number where someone can be reached 24 hours a day.
- Notification:
Once a year the owner must notify the Sheriff's department and the fire chief in
writing of the following.
-
The
location where the dog will be posted
-
The
length of time the dog will be guarding the area
-
The
breed, sex, age and rabies tag number of the dog
-
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Some
Differences Between TLC Humane Society and Lumpkin County Animal Control
Many
folks are confused about the different roles of TLC and animal control. Though
the functions may appear to overlap there are significant differences between
the two.
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TLC Humane Society
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Lumpkin
County Animal Control
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The
Dahlonega-Lumpkin County Humane Society, known as TLC Humane Society,
is a small group of volunteers funded
by donations and fundraising activities.
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Lumpkin
County Animal Control is a county tax supported service.
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TLC
provides for the safety and welfare of animals.
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Animal
Control provides for the safety and convenience of the residents of the county.
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TLC
is a group of private citizens with no law enforcement power.
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Animal
Control is a function of the Sheriff's department with full power to enforce the
law.
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TLC
cannot enter private property, investigate allegations nor cite offenders.
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Animal
Control officers can enter private property, investigate allegations and cite
offenders.
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TLC
cannot pick up aggressive or dangerous animals.
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Animal
Control is responsible for protecting citizens from aggressive and dangerous
animals.
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TLC
keeps animals until adopted or until they die a natural death. Euthanasia is
used for medical and temperament reasons only.
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Animal
Control plans to hold animals for a stated period of time and then euthanize the
animals.
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TLC
treats animal injuries, parasite infestations, and disease.
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Animal
Control will not be able to maintain unhealthy or injured animals.
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TLC's
main focus is to improve the quality of life of animals.
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Animal
Control's main focus is to protect the quality of life of its citizens within
the law.
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This
list should make it very clear that Lumpkin County Animal Control and TLC Humane
Society have very different functions and that both are essential to the
community. The citizens of the community need the services that Animal Control
is authorized to provide. The animals of the community and those concerned with
animal welfare need the services that TLC provides. Each is vital to the
residents of the county.
TLC
maintains a very close relationship with animal control to assure that both the
citizens and the animals of the community will be served. The president of TLC
is actively working with the leaders of Lumpkin County to encourage the building
of an animal control facility. The facility will provide much needed space to
house lost pets, homeless, neglected and abused animals, and animals requiring
isolation.
TLC
is committed to removing every available animal we can from the animal control
facility, providing the animals with continued care and finding homes for them.
This service will reduce cost to the taxpayer and will reduce the number of
animals that are euthanized .
TLC
remains committed to reducing the number of unwanted animals through aggressive
spay/neuter and adoption programs, good identification methods, animal care
information, counseling for problem behaviors, and responsible pet ownership
education.
Contact
Information for Lumpkin County Animal Control
Contact
the Lumpkin County animal control officer to report abuse cases in Dahlonega and
Lumpkin County at 706-864-0414, or the Lumpkin County Animal Shelter at
706-867-7297.
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