The laws regarding animal cruelty in North Carolina must be amended immediately. It is outrageous that this state still treats animals as property and that proper vet care is not a requirement of being an animal owner. The fact that shelter, food, and water classifies as livable conditions is not right. 

Animals should not be allowed to be kept in cages outside with no freedom to run around. A cage that is lifted off the ground with a with a wire bottom should not be acceptable. If animals are going to be kept outside, they should at least be in a pen that is large enough for them to run around and they absolutely should not be chained to anything. If people want to keep their animals outside, they should be mandated to have a permit through the state to do so. The outside housing conditions should undergo inspection and pass the standard requirements before the animal owner is able to receive that permit. It should be mandatory that animals receive proper vet care and yearly wellness checks. Being up to date on rabies shots is simply not enough. Animals need to receive heart worm prevention as heart worms are an extremely serious illness that will eventually lead to death if not treated. 

All animal owners should receive proper education on what is required of them when owning an animal and if they do not meet the requirements, they should not be allowed to own animals. If an animal owner is found guilty of animal cruelty and neglect, they should never be allowed to own an animal again.