[11/4/03]Warren County pet owners will face new rules for controlling their animals under an ordinance under consideration for years and approved Monday by supervisors.

“I’m very pleased they adopted the ordinance,” said Georgia Lynn, president of the Vicksburg Warren County Humane Society.

The main provisions of the law that becomes effective Jan. 1 are that vicious animals and female animals in heat must be confined or they can be picked up. The ordinance also says cats and dogs, the only animals affected, must be vaccinated according to state law.

The fees to reclaim an animal picked up under the ordinance are on a sliding scale and can range from $25 to $100.

The City of Vicksburg has had for years an animal control ordinance, which requires that pets be penned or leashed at all times. The ordinance for areas of the county outside the city limits is far less strict, but is a first.

The county adopted a draft of the ordinance in August after several years of discussions with residents seeking help with roaming and vicious animals. About 25 people attended a public hearing on the ordinance in September after the board approved a draft.

The motion to adopt the ordinance was made by District 4 Supervisor Bill Lauderdale Jr.

The vote to adopt the ordinance was unanimous.

The law also specifies that the Vicksburg Warren County Humane Society is the agency that aids the county in enforcing the ordinance. For that service, the board in November 2002 agreed to contract with the humane society for $120,000 a year.

At the time the draft was adopted, Board President and District 5 Supervisor Richard George termed the ordinance as a good starting point for the county. “It is enforceable and affordable,” he said.

Lynn said the ordinance will give the humane society authority to pick up roaming females in heat. “This will help control the pet population and mean we won’t have to kill as many,” she said.