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The State of North Carolina,  recognizing the value of dogs,  in 1989 named the Plott hound as its official state dog.  The Plott hound is one of the very few breeds created in the United States. It originated in the mountains of North Carolina.

Thirteen years ago, enlightened officials in New Hanover County enacted a humane anti-tethering ordinance.  In 2008, both the town of Clayton and Durham County  recognized the negative impact of chaining/tethering dogs and passed their own anti-tethering ordinances.

The Durham County ordinance will not take effect until January 1, 2010. For the first six months after that, animal control officers will issue warnings.  After July 1, 2010, violators will be subject to fines. The Clayton ordinance is already in effect.

Orange County has also been discussing an anti-tethering proposal.

Above and beyond their place as family companions and  in traditional service occupations, dogs in North Carolina serve in an ever-widening spectrum of therapeutic roles. The physical and emotional benefits to humans that come from relationships with dogs are now recognized and utilized by psychiatric facilities, assisted living centers, hospitals, schools and even prisons.

Today, dogs contribute more to the welfare of individuals and society than perhaps any other time in the history of the human-dog bond. Additionally, over the past three decades, increased awareness of the importance of humane care and control of dogs, the enactment and enforcement of leash laws, and dog bite prevention education, have all been instrumental in drastically lowering the number of reported dog-related injuries nationwide.

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North Carolina's State Dog:  The Plott hound 

The Plott hound was designated the State Dog on August 12, 1989. (Session Laws, 1989, c. 773).

The Plott hound originated in the mountains of North Carolina around 1750. It is the only breed known to have originated in the state. Named for Jonathan Plott, who developed them  as hunters of wild boar, the Plott hound is  known as a courageous fighter and tenacious tracker. The Plott hound is also a gentle and extremely loyal companion.  The Plott hound is very quick, with superior treeing instincts, and has always been a favorite of big-game hunters.

The Plott hound has a beautiful brindle coat and a spine-tingling, bugle-like call. It is one of only four breeds known to be of American origin.

The American Kennel Club recognized the Plott hound as a distinctive breed in 1998. In 2007,  the AKC added it to the Hound group, making  it eligible for competition.

 * Owned by Lyn Buck, River brought joy and smiles to many Wake County children. This  gentle American Foxhound is missed by all who had the pleasure to know him.

National Canine Research Council

What is a dog bite?

While the question seems simple enough, the answer is often not what we imagine.

Over the past 3 decades, increased awareness of the importance of humane care and control of dogs, the enactment and enforcement of leash laws, and dog bite prevention education, have all been instrumental in lowering the number of reported dog-related injuries nationwide.

National Canine Research Council

Over the past 45 years (1965 - present) there have been 27 dog bite-related fatalities in North Carolina, or an average of one (1) fatality every 1 to 2 years.

NCRC's 2011 Preliminary Report on Dog Bite-Related Fatalities illustrates the challenge of accurately reporting on these extremely rare, tragic events. Our mission of preserving the human-canine bond obligates us to be as accurate about these emotionally charged incidents as we can, so that they are calmly, correctly and, therefore, usefully understood. Accuracy takes time.

At least eleven (11) different breeds/types of dogs were reported to be involved in these incidents.*

None of the dogs involved had been spayed or neutered by their owners.

The victims were 7 adults and 20 children.

40% of the children were attacked by chained dogs.

A significant number of these incidents were the result of extreme abuse, negligence or recklessness on the part of dog owners and/or a parent.

In 1986, a 4-year-old Forest City boy was killed when he wandered over to a neighbor's blind, chained dog. The dog had been blinded by a shotgun blast to the face a few years earlier and had spent its entire existence chained to a stake in the backyard.

In 1989, a Forsyth man was sentenced to five years imprisonment following his conviction on a charge of involuntary manslaughter. His two loose dogs had mauled a 25-year-old man jogging past his home.

In 1999, a two-year-old girl was killed after she wandered over to her neighbor's chained dog. (Sampson)

In 2002, an unsupervised 2-year-old Person County girl was mauled to death by a neighbor's emaciated, starving chained dog.

In 2004, Roddie Dumas was arrested after his 8-year-old son was killed in his backyard by his four dogs. He pled guilty to possession, with intent to distribute, of crack cocaine; and possession of firearms by a convicted felon. He was later found guilty of two federal crimes: using and carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, and intimidation of a mailman. While Dumas and his girlfriend had not heard his son being attacked by the dogs in his backyard, a mailman across the street had. The mailman had attempted to save the boy, and then banged on the door for assistance. Dumas had responded by threatening to kill the mailman. (Charlotte-Mecklenburg County)

In 2006, a female dog and an intact male were running loose at the time they attacked and killed Charles Dalton. The 52-year-old man walking down a rural road in Mocksville late at night. Dalton was severely impaired from cocaine use. The dogs had a long history of running loose and chasing livestock. The female dog had recently given birth to puppies and the male dog was suffering from parvo at the time of the attack. The male dog died from parvo 4 days after the attack.

In 2007, Karson Gilroy, a 2-year-old boy, was killed after he wandered, unsupervised, over to one of his neighbor's chained dogs. (Lincoln County)

In 2011, 5-year-old Makayla Woodard was killed by her neighbor's two loose roaming dogs. The dogs were previously reported to be abused, unfed and allowed to roam loose. The owner of the dogs, who had 12 previous arrests, was charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with Makayla's death. (Union County)

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*Note: In recent years, scientists have established that visual identification of dogs of unknown origin is extremely unreliable; therefore, while we can be sure these listed incidents involved varied types of dogs, we cannot be certain of the accuracy of most breed identifications.

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In spite of the abusive and dangerous ownership practices of some dog owners, dogs still pose an incredibly low risk for causing a fatality in North Carolina:

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:

In 2007, 25 North Carolina children died as the result of maltreatment (abuse, neglect).

In the single year 2007, more North Carolina children died from maltreatment than the total of all children killed by dogs in the state over the past 45 years.

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Fact is, people in North Carolina routinely accept far greater risks for ATVs, bicycles and swimming pools than any that are associated with companion animals.

National Canine Research Council