Anderson Municipal Code Ch. 6.12 Keeping Animals

A. No person shall keep any animal, fowl, or bird, wild or domestic, other than cats, dogs, pigeons, canaries, or birds of the psittacinae family, within thirty feet of any residence or dwelling house or other building used or the habitation of human beings other than the owner of the animal, or within one hundred feet from any school, hospital, or similar institution.

B. No animal or fowl shall be kept or maintained in any yard, coop, pen, loft, or building which is in a foul or unsanitary condition.

C. A violation of any of the provisions of this section shall constitute an infraction, punishable as set forth in Section 1.20.010 of this code.

(Ord. 730 (part), 2005)

A. It is a public nuisance to maintain on any property which is subdivided into lots having a frontage of less than one hundred feet for each lot, any pig, hog, sow, goat, horse, mule, burro, cow, bull, steer, rooster, more than five rabbits, more than two pigeons (except with a permit); provided, however, that they shall be of the same sex; more than two doves, provided that they shall be of the same sex or more than ten female fowl.

B. It is lawful to maintain more than two pigeons on lots having frontages of less than one hundred feet if a permit shall first be issued to allow the same, subject to the conditions set forth in this section.

C. Conditions for keeping, breeding, maintenance and flying of pigeons shall be permitted on the following conditions:

1. There shall be at least one square foot of floor space in any loft for each mature pigeon kept therein.

2. The construction and location of the loft shall not conflict with the requirements of any building code or zoning code of the city.

3. All feed for the pigeons shall be stored in such containers as to protect against intrusion by rodents and other vermin.

4. All pigeons shall be confined to the loft, except for limited periods necessary for exercise, training, and competition; at no time shall pigeons be allowed to perch or linger on the buildings or property of others.

5. All pigeons shall be fed within the confines of the loft.

6. No one shall release pigeons to fly or exercise, training or competition except in compliance with the following rules:

a. The owner of the pigeons must be a member in good standing of an organized pigeon club or if the owner is a juvenile, must be sponsored by a member in good standing with an organized pigeon club which has rules that will help preserve the peace and tranquility of the neighborhood.

b. Pigeons will not be released for flying which have been fed within the previous four hours.

7. Pigeons shall be banded and registered with one of the national pigeon associations/registries.

(Ord. 730 (part), 2005)

An applicant for a permit to keep, breed, maintain and/or fly pigeons shall certify on a form provided by the city that he or she is in full compliance with all of the conditions provided above and that his or her loft(s) complies with applicable building and zoning codes. Upon satisfactory proof thereof, the police chief or his or her designee shall issue a permit. Such permit shall remain in full force and effect unless suspended or revoked, or unless the use of the loft be discontinued for a period of one year.

In the event the city receives any written complaint arising out of the keeping, breeding, maintaining or flying of pigeons which relates to a property for which a permit has been issued, a hearing shall be scheduled either before the planning commission or its designee to consider the revocation or further conditioning of such permit. The permit holder, the complaining party and the owners of properties within three hundred feet of the subject property shall be provided at least ten days' written notice of such hearing and allowed to attend. At such hearing, the hearing body or hearing officer(s) shall consider any and all information presented and shall then make a decision whether to revoke the permit or allow it to continue in effect with or without additional conditions. The holder of the permit will comply with such decision within seven days of receiving notice thereof. However, if the decision is premised upon problems arising out of lack of proper sanitation or cleanliness, immediate compliance may be ordered.

The failure to comply with an administrative order revoking the permit and ordering the pigeons to be removed from the property, or to comply with whatever conditions are imposed if the permit remains in effect, authorizes the animal control officer to enter upon the premises, after notice duly provided to the owners and occupants thereof, and to remove the pigeons to a place of safekeeping at the expense of the person who held the permit. Such pigeons will only be released to such person after he or she has paid the applicable fees and upon his or her certification that the pigeons will be removed from the city and not returned without such person first having obtained a new permit to allow them to be returned to the city.

(Ord. 730 (part), 2005)

The animal services officer or any other city official may enter and inspect any property or loft at any reasonable time for the purpose of investigating either an actual or suspected violation or to ascertain compliance or noncompliance with this chapter.

(Ord. 730 (part), 2005)

When the animal services officer or any other city official finds a violation to have occurred, the official shall give written notice thereof to the owner. If such violation is not remedied within ten days of such notice, the police chief or his or her designee may issue a citation for the violation. Any owner found violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall upon conviction be guilty of an infraction punishable as set forth in Section 1.20.010 of this code. Three convictions within twenty-four months shall result in the automatic revocation of the permit.

(Ord. 730 (part), 2005)