LUMBERTON — The chairman of the Robeson County Board of Commissioners confirmed Monday that the date for a public meeting on a proposed dog ordinance is Sept. 5.
The hearing will be at 6 p.m. in the county Emergency Operations Center at 38 Legend Road, according to Jerry Stephens.
The announcement was not on the agenda for Monday’s board meeting and was not discussed by the commissioners during their 45-minute meeting. The ordinance is online at the county website, and the meeting will be publicized.
In response to several recent fatal dog attacks, an ordinance was hammered out by a panel of 15 county residents who are stakeholders in Animal Control, public health and animal groups. It calls for strict controls of dogs that attack a person one time and requires they be put down if they attack a human a second time.
“We want people to come out,” Stephens said of the selection of a meeting venue larger than the commissioners’ meeting room. “You know how people are about their animals.”
The ordinance, which does not single out any breed of dog for restrictions, also proposes a fee for dogs and cats that would fund additional Animal Control personnel. A limit of up to five dogs would be placed on owners, but no limit for hunting dogs.
The commissioners are seeking input in order to protect residents from dangerous dogs and to protect animal owners’ rights.
“The bottom line is you’ve got to be responsible for yours, and I’ve got to be responsible for mine,” Stephens said recently. “But if something bad happens, the dog owner has to be held responsible.”
In other business, the commissioners signed annual agreements with seven county ambulance units. All seven have signed the agreement. The units are in St. Pauls, Lumberton, Red Springs, Pembroke, Maxton, Rowland and South Robeson.
Commissioner Roger Oxendine questioned Patrick Cummings, director of Robeson County EMS, about delivering patients to specific hospitals.
“If a patient requests a hospital, Dillon, Florence or Scotland County, I’ve heard their request is not always granted,” Oxendine said.
“A lot depends on a patient’s condition,” Cummings said. “If it’s critical, we won’t pass one hospital to get to another.
“If it is a heart condition, we take them to Southeastern Health’s cardiac unit,” he said. “We transport many patients from South Robeson to McLeod Hospital in Florence.”
After a brief discussion on the importance of drainage throughout the county, the commissioners agreed to write a letter to the local legislative representatives to request funding for clearing out canals and ditches in the drainage districts.
The discussion came on the same day that work began on clearing the Lumber River of fallen trees and other obstructions.
“You can clean out the river all you want, but if the swamps aren’t cleaned out, it won’t help people,” Commissioner Tom Taylor said.
Commissioner Raymond Cummings missed his third straight meeting because of health issues.with.
