A. Unless otherwise allowed as an agricultural or ranching related use that is allowed in the zoning district, it shall be unlawful for any household to own, harbor, or possess more domestic animals than authorized by this section or not in accordance with limitations and licensing requirements established by this chapter. The following domestic animals are allowed:
1. Dogs, cats, and miniature pigs not exceeding the number limitations as set forth in subsections C and D of this section.
2. Rabbit, guinea pig, hamster, gerbil, frog, ferret, mouse, rat, snake or bird (except fowl, pigeons, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys) kept for the sole purpose of an indoor family pet or for educational purposes at an educational institution. It shall be the duty of all persons owning or harboring such animals to keep and maintain such animals in a clean and sanitary condition.
3. a. Cattle, equine, goats, sheep, lambs, alpacas, miniature horses, ducks, geese, and rabbits may be kept on a lot containing a minimum of three-fourths (3/4) acre of securely fenced, irrigated open space, exclusive of a homesite, and containing at least one acre in total, maintained in compliance with this chapter. Said fenced area shall be irrigated during the growing season to sustain vegetation. The number of listed animals allowed on the original one acre lot and per acre on each succeeding acre of contiguous site is limited to a total of ten (10) points (per acre) using the point system in the following table, where the points are calculated per animal.
Animals | Points (Limit 10 Points Per Acre) |
Cow | 5 |
Equine (horse, pony, donkey, mule, llama) | 4 |
Goat, sheep, lamb, alpaca, miniature horse | 3 |
Goose, rabbit | 1 |
b. Chickens and domestic, flightless ducks are permitted in the Agricultural, Residential, and Residential-Suburban Zones of the City on any detached single-family lot. A maximum of one hen or duck may be raised or kept per two thousand (2,000) gross square feet of lot area with a maximum of ten (10) hens or ducks per lot in the Residential and Residential-Suburban Zones and a maximum of ten (10) hens or ducks per acre in the Agricultural Zone. Roosters are prohibited within the City limits. Coops and feeders shall be secured to prevent problems with mice and other pests. Coops, hutches, or similar containment structures shall be set back in accordance with the authorized accessory building setbacks of the zone in which they are located and shall also be located at least fifteen feet (15') from the on site residence and twenty five feet (25') from any neighboring residences. Additionally the coop shall not be attached to a shared fence or a fence located along property lines. All other zone district setbacks and restrictions shall apply.
c. Owners of property less than the minimum premises size, on which animals were kept at the time of passage of this chapter, may continue keeping those animals or replacement animals, so long as the owner of the property provides proof of ownership of the number of animals kept at the time of passage of this chapter and keeps the premises free from nuisance to the neighboring property owners or the public. If the City determines that the keeping of the animals is a nuisance or a violation of this section, the City shall enforce the nuisance or violation, in accordance with the terms of chapter 1 of this title. If the property does not cure the nuisance or violation in the permitted time, the property owner shall be required to bring the property into compliance with the limitations of subsections A3a and A3b of this section.
B. It shall be the duty of all persons owning or harboring such animals to keep them in secure confinement to prevent them from roaming onto adjacent lands and to maintain such animals, and the grounds upon, and facilities within, which they are housed, in a clean and sanitary condition.
C. It shall be unlawful for any household in a multi-family dwelling housing unit to keep more than three (3) permitted animals as defined by subsections A1 and A2 of this section. Each household in a detached single-family dwelling shall keep no more than seven (7) animals permitted pursuant to subsections A1 and A2 of this section, but not more than three (3) of any species shall be allowed within such limitation; except that a litter of pups, kittens or other young animals may be kept for a period of time not exceeding five (5) months from birth. One miniature pig, weighing no more than one hundred fifty (150) pounds, is allowed per detached single family dwelling lot so long as the lot is located in either the Residential Suburban or Agricultural Zone Districts. The restrictions of this subsection shall not apply to any commercial establishment where such animals are legally kept for breeding, sale, sporting purposes, or boarding.
D. Kennels shall be permitted only when allowed by the zoning ordinance of the City and shall comply with all applicable zoning restrictions and the requirements of section 4-3-6-1 of this chapter. (Ord. 578, 1-9-2018; amd. Ord. 612, 10-27-2020)