Clarendon not ready to implement animal control ordinance

By ROBERT BAKER
Item Staff Writer
bbaker@theitem.com

MANNING -- After more than 40 Clarendon County residents voiced concerns -- and some approval -- for the county's proposed Animal Control Ordinance, County Council members decided Monday night to abandon the measure and revisit it at the beginning of next year.

"I think it's poorly worded, and I don't think these people can afford the fees laid out here," said Councilman Benton Blakely, who made the motion that council reject the ordinance outright.

County Council Chairman Dwight Stewart asked Blakely if he would be agreeable to revisiting the measure in January by forming a committee to look into what residents want to go into such a law.

"Yeah, I think we could come back at the first of the year with a committee and start from there and have it be the people telling us," Blakely said.

The ordinance would have made the registrations of dogs and cats mandatory with registration fees being collected yearly. The fees were to be $25 for registration. Fines for failure to comply with the proposed ordinance were set at $200 and/or 30 days in jail.

"So, as it sits at this time, we're going to just do away with this and come back in January and start over," Stewart said.

For more details on council's decision, read Wednesday's edition of The Item.