03/24/2025
Animal Control is receiving a lot of complaints about chickens being in yards other than their own and this is considered a nuisance and considered animals running at large. If you don't know the housing requirements for having chickens, I am adding our city ordinance on that topic and also the ordinance on nuisance and animals running at large. This also covers all other animals as well so please read over these and Thank You for your time.
Sec. 6-2-4. - Animals at large.
(a)Prohibited. It shall be unlawful and an offense for any owner to permit any animals, including chickens and other fowl, owned, harbored or kept by him, except a cat, to be at large.(b)Turning animals at large. It shall be unlawful for any person to open any enclosure in which an animal is confined, as required by ordinance, so as to turn the animal at large or to turn in any other manner the animal at large.
(2002 Code § 91.03)
Sec. 6-2-7. - Nuisance animals.
(a)Nuisances enumerated.(1)It shall be a public nuisance for any person to keep any dog or other animal which, by barking, howling or otherwise, disturbs the peace and quiet of or creates a nuisance for any person or persons.(2)It shall be a public nuisance for any person to keep any dog or other animal which attacks other animals or damages private or public property.(b)Abatement. Abatement of the public nuisances shall be handled in accordance with the provisions of title 5, chapter 1A of this Code.
(2002 Code § 91.04)
ec. 6-2-8. - Housing requirements; keeping certain animals.
It shall be unlawful and an offense for any person to keep any animals within the corporate limits of the City, except under those conditions and provisions specified in this chapter. Absent conditions and provisions for a particular type of animal, the animal type shall not be kept or harbored at any time within the corporate limits of the City.
(a)Housing requirements.(1)Every structure wherein any authorized animal is kept within the corporate limits of the City shall be constructed of material and in a manner that it can be kept clean and sanitary at all times, and it shall be maintained in the condition, devoid of rodents and vermin and free from objectionable odors, in order to avert the creation of a nuisance to the public health.(2)Every structure, if located within 200 feet of any tenement, apartment house, hotel, restaurant, boarding house, retail food store, building used for educational, religious or hospital purposes, or residence other than that occupied by the owner or occupant of the premises upon which the animal is kept, shall be provided with a watertight and flytight receptacle for manure of a size as to hold all accumulations of manure. The receptacle shall be emptied sufficiently often and in a manner as to prevent it from being or becoming a nuisance, and shall be kept covered at all times, except when open during the deposit or removal of manure or refuse. No manure shall be allowed to accumulate on the premises, except in a receptacle.(3)A lot for authorized animals, properly fenced so as to contain the animal within the lot, shall be of sufficient length to contain 600 square feet of space. Not more than one-fourth of the space in square feet herein indicated shall be used for the purpose of maintaining a shed or barn to house any animal that may be permitted under this section to be kept within the City limits.(4)The outside limits of any lot within which an animal is to be confined, and of the shed or barn, shall not and must not be located a distance any closer than 50 feet from any residence or dwelling inhabited or intended to be inhabited by human beings, and the maintaining of the lot, shed or barn at any distance less than 50 feet from the dwelling is expressly prohibited.(b)Swine. No swine shall be kept within the corporate limits of the City with the exception of FFA and/or 4-H projects kept on public school property, in appropriately designated areas.(c)Bees. The keeping or raising of bees within the corporate limits of the City shall be permitted only in those areas zoned for U-3 and U-4 uses and in accordance with the City zoning regulations. No license or permit shall be required to keep or raise bees.(d)Livestock and poultry. The keeping or raising of horses, sheep, cattle and chickens or similar fowl shall be permitted throughout the City as long as the premises is in accordance with the provisions of subsections (a) and (c) of this section and State and County Health Department requirements and standards.(e)Birds.(1)Parakeets and other small birds. The raising of parakeets and/or other small birds or similar fowl shall be permitted within the City without license or permit requirements, subject to the following provisions:a.All activities associated with the raising of the fowl shall be completely enclosed and out of the public view;b.Premises used for the raising of the fowl shall be maintained in accordance with subsections (a) and (c) of this section; andc.All requirements of the City zoning ordinance shall be met.(2)Dangerous birds. The raising or keeping of dangerous birds shall be permitted in accordance with the provisions of subsections (a) and (c) of this section and the license and permit requirements outlined in section 6-2A-4 of this chapter, as well as any applicable provisions of the City zoning ordinance.(f)Rodents. The raising or keeping of rodents for any purpose shall be permitted in accordance with the provisions of subsections (a) and (c) of this section and the license and permit requirements outlined in section 6-2A-5 of this chapter, as well as any applicable provisions of the City zoning ordinance.(g)Rabbits. The raising or keeping of rabbits shall be permitted in accordance with the provisions of subsections (a) and (c) of this section, as well as any applicable provisions of the City zoning ordinance.(h)Wild animals. The keeping or raising of any wild animals shall be prohibited within the City, except for those wild animals which may be under the care of travelling shows or circuses, and for which the license requirements of section 6-2A-3 of this chapter are met and a permit obtained.(i)Snakes. No venomous snakes may be kept within the corporate limits of the City, except under the conditions and provisions of the license required for snakes in section 6-2A-2 of this chapter. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to keep or raise snakes within the City without having met license requirements and obtained a license.(j)Other animals. Keeping other animals not specifically mentioned or regulated within this chapter as pets shall be subject only to generally applicable provisions requiring the maintenance of sanitary conditions and the avoidance of a nuisance.
(2002 Code § 91.05; amd. 2018 Code)
