Email County Commissioners and Editor

We need your help to make this happen! 💛
Email the Moore County Commissioners and the local newspaper editor to let them know you support an independent Animal Services Department and a humane future for our county’s animals. Your voice matters—together, we can make real change. 🐾 

Email addresses and sample emails are provided below—just copy, paste, and send to show you want change for the animals! 💌🐾

Email to County Commissioners:

Dear County Commissioners, 
I am writing to formally request that the Moore County Commissioners establish an "independent Animal Services Department". This department must be structured to report directly to the County Manager and the Board of Commissioners. I advocate for this separation to enable Animal Services to transition into a "professional entity" better equipped to meet the needs of both the citizenry and the animal population of Moore County. This structural change would not necessitate any reduction in Sheriff’s Department personnel. The benefits include: 

• The delivery of professional, specialized training to Animal Resource Officers in the field. 
• The appropriate planning and development of a critically needed new animal services facility. 
• The ability to implement positive, proactive solutions to issues resulting from our county’s sustained population growth. 

Considering the current and proposed budget allocations, this organizational change could be financially advantageous to both the Sheriff’s Department and Animal Services, in addition to greatly benefiting the citizens and partner animal welfare organizations. Therefore, I strongly urge the Commissioners to take action on this structural change prior to promoting a bond for a new facility. Let us commit to a new, progressive direction and ensure we do not replicate historical inefficiencies. Sincerely,
Moore County Resident

Moore County Commissioner Email Addresses:

Kurt Cook- kcook1@moorecountync.gov

Tom Adams- tadams@moorecountync.gov

Nick Picerno- npicerno09@gmail.com

John Ritter- jritter1@moorecountync.gov

Jim Von Canon- jvoncanon@moorecountync.gov

EMAIL THE EDITOR OF THE PILOT:

Headline: Prioritize Animal Welfare: Move Animal Services Management to Professional Oversight

To the Editor,

The management structure of our local animal services deserves an urgent review. While we respect the crucial work of our Sheriff’s Department, placing the operational management of a complex animal welfare facility under law enforcement control is fundamentally an outdated model that prioritizes enforcement over humane care, adoption, and public health programming.

An animal shelter is not a jail; it is a community resource dedicated to saving lives and promoting responsible pet ownership. It requires the specialized, daily administrative focus of the County Manager's office and the expertise of certified animal welfare professionals.

Shifting the shelter’s oversight to the County Manager would allow for greater administrative accountability and resources focused directly on animal outcomes. More importantly, it would allow the county to hire a director with a proven background in veterinary medicine, shelter operations, and modern, high-volume adoption practices. This professional focus is necessary to increase save rates, reduce unnecessary euthanasia, manage public health risks, and implement robust community outreach programs.

We urge our County Board of Commissioners to prioritize the welfare of our community’s most vulnerable animals. The time has come to modernize our system, move beyond a punitive enforcement model, and place our animal services under the guidance of dedicated, professional animal welfare management. This change isn't just better for the animals; it’s better for our entire community.

Sincerely,

Editor of The Pilot Email Address:

John A. Nagy- john@thepilot.com