Fuquay Residents Howl Over Proposed Pet Limit

The ordinance would restrict homeowners living on less than a half-acre to a maximum of three pets – four or more pets would be regulated as a kennel. People with larger lots would be allowed to own more animals.

The Fuquay-Varina Town Commission plans to hold a public hearing on proposal on Monday.

The idea is to keep people from having lots of pets in small spaces. Mayor John Byrne said it reflects the changing face of Fuquay-Varina.

"We are becoming less rural and more urban," Byrne said, adding that owners with multiple animals sometimes let them roam too freely among dense neighborhoods. "People came to the town and were very frustrated because they couldn't even let their children out of their yard."

Veterinarian Dr. Liz Cotton said the ordinance will force local residents to abandon pets.

"They are going to have to pick which pet goes. It's going to be like looking at your kids and saying, 'Which one am I going to give away?'" Cotton said. "There must be a better way to attack this problem."

Byrne, who owns pets himself, said he's not sure the ordinance will pass.

"I think it is something very new for Fuquay-Varina. I think it's open for interpretation," he said.