Pet
Tips
Spartanburg County Animal Control would like to take this opportunity
to provide you with tips on being good pet owners.
Remember to always provide your pets with:
Adequate food and water.
Adequate shelter.
Adequate space in the primary enclosure for the particular
type of animal depending upon its age, size and weight.
Veterinary care when needed to prevent suffering.
Humane care and treatment.
In Spartanburg
County, dogs and cats also require a yearly rabies vaccine.
Dogs must be on a leash or under control
of their owners at all times when off their property. It
is also illegal for animals to stray onto other people’s
property without the property owner’s consent.
If you
need any assistance with a pet, call Animal Control at
(864) 596-3582
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Lost
and Found Animals
If you have lost a dog or cat in Spartanburg County or have
found one running loose, there are several steps that should
be taken for the safety of the animal as well as the public.
First,
immediately notify the Spartanburg County Animal Shelter.
Provide a description of the dog or cat and any
information on it’s tag.
If your pet is lost it may have been taken to the Animal
Shelter. The shelter is located at 150 Dexter Rd. and the
phone number is (864) 583-4805
Owner identified dogs and cats are kept for 3-5 days before
they are put up for adoption or are euthanized. For owners
to redeem their pet the fees are:
$55.00 reclaim fees are for the first offense, plus rabies
shot if applicable and microchip.
$110.00 for each subsequent offense
Each offense may bring court action against the owner of
the pet.
Owners claiming their pet may request a portion of the reclaim
fee be applied toward having the pet spayed or neutered.
It is also a good idea to notify area veterinarians and
media about lost pets and post notices with your pets information
on bulletin boards of local businesses, churches and other
public locations
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| Animal
Abuse
Owners or keepers of pets are required to provide their animals
with adequate water and food and proper shelter. It is also
a violation to treat an animal in a inhumane manner.
Instances of abuse or cruelty should be immediately reported
to the Spartanburg County SCEED
(864)-596-3582.
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Leash
Law
Spartanburg County requires all animals to be on a leash, or
under restraint at all times, when off the owners property
or under direct control and obedience to the commands of the
owner or handler. They are not allowed on any ones property
without the property owners consent.
Animals roaming free can get lost or seriously injured.
They are also subject to being picked up by Animal Control
officers or any person on whose property the stray pet is
found and delivered to the Animal Shelter for impoundment.
Animal owners are liable for their pet’s actions.
You can prevent your animal from being picked up by keeping
it confined to your property, or on a leash and controlled,
as required by law. Roaming animals may result in legal
or financial problems for you.
Violation of Spartanburg County’s leash law can result
in a fine of up to $200.00 plus court costs and cost for
impounding the animal.
For more information, call Animal Control at
(864) 596-3582
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Nuisance Animals and Wildlife
It is against the law in Spartanburg County for animals
to become a public nuisance. This includes excessive barking,
molesting passersby, chasing vehicles, attacking other domestic
animals, damaging property and trespassing on private property.
If animal control officers do not witness these violations,
they cannot act upon them. Citizens however can take some
steps to remedy the problem.
First, talk to the owners of the animal. They may not realize
the animal is creating a problem.
Second, if the first step is unsuccessful, contact Animal
Control to sign a nuisance complaint statement that will
allow an animal control officer to contact the owners of
the animal to discuss the problem and hopefully, correct
the situation.
Third, if all else fails, you have the right to swear
out a warrant at the local magistrate’s office
and take the owner to court.
In addition, barking dogs bring almost daily complaints
to the Spartanburg County SCEED particularly in the warm
weather when windows are open. All barking dog complaints
are investigated by SCEED Animal Control Officers. Owners
of barking dogs may be in violation of the County’s
Animal Control Ordinance, if your dog is barking please
investigate the cause. To report a dog which barks loudly
and excessively
contact Animal Control. If you need additional information
call Animal Control at (864) 596-3582.
Report all Wildlife complaints to the Department of Natural
Resources at 1-800-922-5431
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Rabies Vaccines and Tags
Rabies is a disease caused by a virus carried in animals infected
with the disease. It is spread by the bite of infected animals.
Wild animals such as squirrels, foxes, raccoons, bats, and
rodents are the most common carriers. These animals, however,
sometimes infect household pets and occasionally an unfortunate
person.
To protect people and pets, all dogs and cats in Spartanburg
County are required by law to be vaccinated against rabies
every year. This, of course, is one of the best preventions
against the disease. The law also states that rabies identification
tags must be worn by dogs and cats at all times. To avoid
the spread of rabies Spartanburg County has the right to
impound stray pets without a proper rabies tag.
Low-cost rabies clinics are held countywide during the
year to encourage everyone to vaccinate pets.
To find out if a rabies clinic is planned soon for your
area contact Animal Control at (864) 596-3582 or the Animal
Shelter at (864) 583-4805.
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Reporting
Animal Bites
If you are the victim of an animal bite or scratch, where
the skin has been broken or if you own an animal which has
bitten
or scratched someone, you must contact the South Carolina Department
of Health and Environmental Control health department. DHEC
is responsible for recording such incidents in Spartanburg
County.
It is important to get a description of the animal that
has bitten or scratched because it may need to be quarantined
if it has not received a rabies vaccination.
Do not destroy the animal because it may also be needed
to complete a rabies test.
All animal bites and scratches, regardless of whether from
a household pet or wild animal must be reported because cases
of rabies have been confirmed in Spartanburg County.
If the bite or scratch occurs during normal working hours
call the health department at (864)596-3415 or Animal Control
at (864) 596-3582.
After
hours and on weekends call the health department’s
emergency pager number.
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Reporting Dead Animal
If you wish to report a dead animal on or along the roadway
of any state maintained road in Spartanburg County you may
call the South Carolina Department of Transportation at (864)
587-4725.
If there is a dead animal on County maintained road call
County Roads and bridges Department at (864)595-5320.
If the dead animal is on personal property the owner is
responsible for burial or proper disposal of the animal in
a timely manner.
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Spay or Neuter Program
The overpopulation of unwanted animals is a serious problem
nationwide. Each year, more than 12,000 homeless dogs, cats,
puppies and kittens are put to sleep in Spartanburg County
alone.
To help reduce this problem, animals adopted from the Spartanburg
County Animal Shelter must be spayed or neutered so they
will not reproduce.
To find out more about the spaying or neutering of adopted
animals and adoption fees call the Animal Shelter at (864)583-4805
or S.C.E.E.D. at
(864) 596-3582
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Other Reporting
To report overgrown properties, dilapidated or unsafe unsanitary structures, or derelict vehicles please call 596-3186. |
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