PEMBROKE — A Pembroke woman fought back tears as she made a plea to the Town Council on Tuesday to enforce an ordinance on animals inside town limits.
Essie Evans, of Odum Street, said her son-in-law’s dog suffered minor injuries when it was attacked by a neighbor’s pit bull on Nov. 13.
“Less than a week after that, my dog was attacked,” she said. “This time, the owner left the dog unattended in her yard, went into the house. The dog came across straight toward my grandchild, 4 years old.”
Evans said her small Doberman was barking at the pit bull as it entered her yard.
“My little dog was split from the neck down, stayed four days in the vet and got a $500 vet bill,” she said.
“Instead of picking my little dog up and taking it to a vet, I could’ve been picking my grandchild up, taking her to a hospital,” she said, her voice crackling.
Evans said the dog was picked up by Animal Control after the first attack and brought back to the home the next day. She said Animal Control left the dog without it being properly chained and without checking its vaccination records.
“My problem is, why do we have all of this written on paper as the ordinance for animals, dogs, whatever?” she said, holding up a copy of the ordinance. “This is no [more] good than the paper it’s written on. Why have it if you’re not going to enforce it? Why?”
“This has been a concern,” Mayor Milton Hunt said. “Pit bulls are vicious dogs. They shouldn’t be in the city limits of Pembroke unless they’re well contained.”
Also on Tuesday, the council unanimously name finance officer Marie Moore as interim town manager.
Town Manager McDuffie Cummings retired as of Dec. 31.
The council cannot begin the process of hiring a new manager until the new councilmen are sworn in, which has been delayed by an appeal to the state Board of Elections by Councilman Larry McNeill. McNeill and Councilman Greg Cummings, who did not seek re-election, have remained on the council in the interim. Hunt said he hopes to have the new councilmen, Ryan Sampson and Robert Williamson, sworn in within the next few weeks.
Moore has served as finance officer for more than two years.
“I feel fortunate that they had enough confidence in me to put me in that position, and I’ll do it to the best of my abilities,” she said.
Also on Tuesday, the council recognized town employee Teresa Scott, who is retiring after working in the maintenance department on beautification for 11 years.
Have a wonderful day Percy and keep up the good work of defending our animals ???
"It's ok if you don't like animals and it's ok if you don't have animals BUT if you DO --
TAKE CARE OF THEM - DO NOT ABUSE, NEGLECT, MIS-TREAT THEM --
Is that too difficult for some of you to comprehend???????????
Ms Evans, I'm sorry about your dog being injured but my question to you is - "how was the dog able to get to your dog - was your dog confined, etc.?
Hopefully you will put forth the effort to make certain a LEASH LAW is enforced - THAT is the answer(at least for some) -- there are those who will always refuse to do what is right and defy all laws, as well as the officials, etc.
YOU have the "title" of Mayor, Hunt -- use it in the proper manner and enforce some laws which will not only protect the humans but protect the animals as well.
I have no doubt the cruel, stupid, low life dog fighters will not agree but we all know they won't agree with anything other than using our animals to support their sick habits of drugs and using them as an "easy" way to make a living (so sick and stupid and low life) - amazing how so many in this County USE our animals to either breed or fight rather than working like upstanding citizens do - if they don't know the definition of "upstanding", they can look it up in the dictionary - if they know what that is!
Be assured, there are many efforts going on which will eventually catch all the dog fighters in Robeson County and they will LOSE everything they have and go to jail for their sick, sick games - how I wish they could all be placed into the cage and fight each other as they force the animals to do -- their day WILL come and, as stated - "they WILL burn in hell" for their cruelty - that is for CERTAIN!!
Do have a happy day, Hunt and please get your facts straight prior to making such stupid comments - put your efforts towards stopping dog fights in Pembroke/Robeson County - how refreshing that would be.
Faith Walker
Also, "disbelief2012", I certainly agree with you that "the Town of Pembroke is literally a joke" - what's new? - as long as they appoint people such as Hunt as an official, it will NEVER change!