Buncombe County has no ordinance using the word 'hoarding,' but Sec. 6-57 prohibits keeping animals in numbers or conditions that constitute a public nuisance, and Sec. 6-58 bars neglect. Severe cases are prosecuted under NC animal-cruelty law (NCGS Ch. 14 Art. 47 / 19A).
Excessive-animal situations are reached through several code provisions. Sec. 6-57(a)(8) makes it a nuisance to maintain property so that the number, type, variety, density, or location of animals is offensive, annoying, or dangerous to public health, safety, or welfare. Keeping seven or more dogs or cats triggers kennel regulation (Sec. 6-28). Sec. 6-58 (Animal care) requires adequate food, water, shelter, and veterinary care and bars abandonment, neglect, and cruelty; county-appointed animal cruelty investigators act under NCGS 19A-45. Serious cruelty and neglect are prosecuted under North Carolina's criminal cruelty statutes (NCGS Ch. 14, Art. 47). Animals in danger may be summarily seized (Sec. 6-79).
Nuisance keeping (Sec. 6-57(a)(8)) and cruelty/neglect (Sec. 6-58) are Level III civil penalties under Sec. 6-106 (up to $500), with each day a separate offense. Criminal cruelty under NC state law can be a misdemeanor or felony. Animals may be
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Buncombe County, NC
Home composting is permitted in Buncombe County (NC). There is no county ordinance banning or licensing backyard compost piles. The county actively promotes ...
Buncombe County, NC
Buncombe County has no ordinance prohibiting artificial turf on residential property. In the Steep Slope and Protected Ridge overlays and in watersheds, howe...
Buncombe County, NC
Buncombe County does not require native landscaping on ordinary lots, but in the Steep Slope and Protected Ridge overlays, required screening trees must be n...
Buncombe County, NC
Rain barrels and cisterns are legal in Buncombe County (NC). North Carolina does not restrict residential rainwater collection, and the county encourages it ...
Buncombe County, NC
Buncombe County has no standing landscaping water-restriction ordinance. Outdoor watering limits kick in through the water utility (Asheville water system) a...
Buncombe County, NC
Buncombe County (NC) does not have a general weed-abatement ordinance for private residential property. Overgrown weeds on private lots in the unincorporated...
See how Buncombe County's animal hoarding rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.