Local governments in North Carolina take the lead in traditional animal services activities, ranging from rabies control to dangerous dogs to animal cruelty. Many local governments go beyond the minimum requirements of state law and offer comprehensive animal services programs as a general public service. This book is designed to provide an overview of the laws that apply in many of the key animal services areas. While it includes a significant amount of legal detail, the book is not intended to be a resource only for legal professionals. Rather, the goal is to provide information that is accessible and useful for all local government officials interested in and involved with animal services, as well as for the general public. Topics covered in the book include criminal and civil animal cruelty, dangerous dogs,  rabies control, nuisance and at-large animals, animal shelters, service animals, exotic animals, the statewide spay/neuter program, and much more.