A person has been issued a citation for disposing an animal carcass at a local dump site.
On Sunday, December 1, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office was alerted of a deceased animal that appeared to have been purposefully left at a county-operated dumpster location.
The Sheriff’s Office forwarded the information along to Washington County Code Enforcement for further investigation.
Through a collaborative effort, Code Enforcement was able to identify and locate the individual that illegally disposed of the animal carcass.
On Thursday, December 5, Code Enforcement issued the person multiple County Ordinance Violation Citations.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, the case will now be heard before Washington County Magistrate Court.
“It is against the law to dispose of dead animals in this manner. We take these cases very seriously and strongly discourage this behavior,” said Washington County Sheriff Joel Cochran. “If you are caught violating these types of offenses, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
This is the second consecutive December that the Sheriff has spoken to the public about the illegal disposing of animal carcasses.
Last year, Sheriff Cochran released an official statement on the required measures for the safe and appropriate disposal of deceased animal remains.
“It is strictly prohibited for a person to abandon animals remains on any property without obtaining explicit permission from the landowner,” Cochran said. “Additionally, disposing of deceased animals in a city, county, or duly licensed landfill is illegal, and under no circumstances should dead animals be abandoned in wells, open pits, or any surface waters – whether on private or public land.”
For questions concerning the disposal of animal remains, contact the Washington County Sheriff’s Office at 478-552-4795.