Raleigh proposal gives owners of ‘wild and dangerous animals’ a deadline to get rid of pets
People who own venomous snakes and “wild and dangerous animals” would have 90 days to get rid of their pets under a new, proposed city rule.
The Raleigh City Council will discuss banning wild and exotic animals during a virtual meeting at 1 p.m. Tuesday. The list runs the gamut from lions, tigers and alligators to squirrels, ducks and skunks.
“I feel good about it,” said Council member David Knight, who sought the ordinance. “I feel comfortable with it and am looking forward to a good discussion.”
The ordinance follows national and international attention on the city after a venomous zebra cobra was spotted in a northwest Raleigh neighborhood in June. The snake was captured two days later.
The owner of the snake, Christopher Gifford, 21, pleaded guilty to failing to report the missing snake, which originally escaped in November, and was ordered to pay storage fees and overtime costs for law enforcement officers. He also agreed to give up his venomous snakes, worth about $35,000.
The original draft ordinance the city was considering appeared to ban most reptiles, including non-venomous snakes, and other less common pets like sugar gliders and ferrets. The News & Observer sought clarification about the proposed rule but was told the city attorney couldn’t comment on the draft.
The U.S. Association of Reptile Keepers, which has 3,500 members and supporters in North Carolina, was one of the organizations that raised concern about the original ordinance.
The second draft is better, said Phil Goss, president of the association, but added while they “strive for common-sense regulation,” the group will never support an outright ban.
“The new draft is much improved and eliminates the concern for people with most pet species,” he said. “However, there is no exception for people who already have animals that will be banned. The law becomes effective immediately upon passage and then there is just a 90-day window for people to relocate or euthanize animals they may have had for a decade or more. That is overreaching.”
“If someone has humanely and safely kept animals for many years, how can the government then tell them they are unfit as animal owners and criminals if they choose to keep those animals?” he asked.
The new draft ordinance also addresses criticism of the original that included rules on how tall bird feeders could be. The new ordinance exempts the feeding of songbirds and other backyard birds.
The penalties for violating the proposed rules include a $500 per animal, per day fine, reimbursement to the city for capturing an escaped animal, and a misdemeanor charge.
This is just the first step for the proposed ordinance. A public hearing will be held at a future meeting but a date has not yet been set.
“So far here in Raleigh there is support for doing this, and really any of the negative responses have not been from my constituents or local,” Knight said. “So I feel like we are going in the right direction.”
This story was originally published August 16, 2021 at 2:50 PM.
