In a tight economy, municipalities are trying not to duplicate services. Such is the case with animal control services on Carolina Beach.

New Hanover County already provides an animal control service to the island so Carolina Beach doesn’t have its own, said Chief William Younginer of the Carolina Beach Police Department.

“Yes, it can be a little slower process if you have to wait for animal control to come from Wilmington or Castle Hayne,” he said. “I’ve seen it when they didn’t get here that same day.”

But even if Carolina Beach did have an animal control service on the island, the police department wouldn’t have any place to corral the captured beasts. The department only has one animal cage.

Sometimes, officers will pick up collared dogs that seem friendly and will come to them. The dogs are kept for a short time while the owners are contacted to come pick up the pooch, Younginer said.

And in some suspected rabies cases, officers are equipped with a dogcatcher’s cinch noose and gloves to capture an animal for testing.

All in all, the island doesn’t see that many animal complaints, though. Most of the year, Younginer said, dispatchers may get one or two calls a month, though it peaks in the summer as concerned residents more frequently report animals left in a hot car.

Date posted: January 26, 2011

User-contributed question by:
elaine hall