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Part 61
61.000 ANIMAL RESTRICTIONS* Ord. No. 70 Adopted: November 9, 1988
---------- *Cross reference(s)--Nuisance and hazard abatement, Pt. 2; animal treatment and control, Pt. 60; burial of dead animals, Pt. 62; animal and bird noises, § 72.001. ----------
An ordinance to regulate the keeping of animals, birds, fowl
or insects within the corporate limits.
THE CITY OF READING ORDAINS THAT:
61A.000 Compliance--Exception.
A. It is unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to
harbor, keep, or suffer to be kept contrary to the
provisions of this ordinance and the applicable portions of
the Zoning Ordinance within the city, for any purpose, any
live animals, birds, fowl or insects, whether domestic or
wild, other than common house pets; provided, however, that
offspring of animals, birds, or fowl kept on premises within
the city pursuant to and in accordance with the provisions
of this ordinance shall be exempt from the provisions hereof
for the six months immediately following their birth, and
except as otherwise provided in this ordinance.
61B.000 Permit--Required.
B. No animals, birds, fowl, or insects shall be kept on any
premises within the city without a permit therefor. A permit
covering all such animals, birds, fowl or insects as are on
the premises on the effective date of the ordinance codified
in this chapter [or] to be placed on the premises after the
effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter,
shall be issued by the city clerk upon compliance with all
of the terms and provisions of the Zoning Ordinance, and
upon payment of the sum of one dollar therefor. Such permit
shall be dated and shall expire at the end of one year
whereupon it shall be necessary to renew same; provided,
that prior to placing any additional animals, birds, fowl,
or insects covered by the terms of this chapter upon any
premises located within the city subsequent to the issuance
of a permit under the provisions of this chapter, the
person, firm or corporation desiring to harbor, keep or
permit the keeping of such additional animals, birds, fowl
and insects shall make application for an amended permit,
the amended permit to be issued upon compliance with all the
terms and provisions of this ordinance and applicable
provisions of the Zoning Ordinance without cost to the
applicant therefor and to expire on even date with the
original permit issued.
61C.000 Permit--Application.
C.
A. Each application for an original or amended permit
shall state the name and address of the applicant, the
proposed location of the animals, fowl, birds, or
insects and an accurate description of the kind and
number of animals, fowl, birds, or insects to be kept
or otherwise harbored thereon.
B. Each application shall be referred to the Ordinance
Chairman, who shall cause an investigation and
inspection to be made of the proposed site and who
shall approve of the issuance of the requested permit
or amended permit upon determining that the issuance
thereof will not violate the terms and provisions of
this chapter, the applicable provisions of the Zoning
Ordinance, and will not otherwise be unsanitary or
dangerous to the health of any persons or person.
61D.000 Permit--Wild animals.
D. Notwithstanding anything contained in this chapter to the
contrary, no captured wild animals such as bear, squirrels,
raccoons, fox, reptiles, or any other wild animal shall be
permitted to be kept in the city without a special permit
therefor to be granted by the city council upon such
conditions as it deems expedient to protect the health and
safety of the public, and without compliance to the
applicable Michigan state statutes, rules and regulations.
61E.000 Permit--Cattle, sheep, swine and horses.
E. Notwithstanding anything contained in this chapter to the
contrary, no permit shall be issued to any applicant for the
keeping in the city of cattle, oxen, sheep, goats, hogs,
swine, horses, donkeys, or ponies when there are other
occupied human residential habitations within a radius of
five hundred feet, unless the applicant shall have obtained
the consent in writing of seventy-five percent of all the
residents within the five hundred foot radius. The Ordinance
Chairman may in his sole discretion, refuse to approve the
issuance of a permit for the keeping of any of the aforesaid
animals when, after proper investigation and report thereon,
he determines and finds that the keeping of the cattle,
oxen, goats, hogs, swine, sheep, horses, donkeys and ponies
in an occupied residential area in the city would be
unsanitary or unhygienic and/or for any reason unsafe or
dangerous to the health, safety, or welfare of the residents
of the city; provided, that the consent otherwise required
pursuant to the terms of this section shall not apply to
cattle, oxen, goats, hogs, swine, sheep, horses, donkeys and
ponies kept upon any premises located within the city upon
the effective date of the ordinance codified in this
chapter.
61F.000 Permit--Birds, fowl and rabbits.
F. Notwithstanding anything contained in this chapter to the
contrary, no permit shall be issued to any applicant for the
keeping of four or more rabbits, chickens, geese, ducks,
turkeys, pigeons or guinea hens where there are other
occupied human habitations within a radius of two hundred
and fifty feet unless the consent in writing shall have been
obtained of seventy-five percent of the residents within the
two hundred fifty foot radius. The Ordinance Chairman may
deny and refuse to approve the issuance of any permit if he
determines the sanitary and hygienic condition of the
proposed location unsafe or dangerous to the health, safety
or welfare of the residents of the city; provided, however,
no permit shall be required for the keeping of four or less
of the animals or creatures enumerated in this section;
provided further, that the consent otherwise required
pursuant to the terms of this section shall not apply to the
keeping of four or more rabbits, chickens, geese, ducks,
turkeys, pigeons or guinea hens kept upon any premises
located within the city upon the effective date of the
ordinance codified in this chapter.
61G.000 Nuisance--Abatement.
G. The keeping of any animals, birds, fowl or insects within
the corporate limits of the city without compliance with the
provisions of this chapter shall be and constitutes a
nuisance. It shall be the duty of the Ordinance Chairman
where any such nuisance as defined in this chapter is
maintained or continued to give the owner or occupant of the
premises thirty days' notice in writing thereof and, if at
the expiration of the period such nuisance is not abated,
the Ordinance Chairman shall petition the county circuit
court to declare the same a nuisance and order it abated in
addition to any and all penalties provided in this chapter.
61H.000 Running at large.
H. It is unlawful for any animals, birds, fowl or insects
covered by this chapter to run at large or to be allowed or
permitted to run at large or be staked out within the city
upon the streets, alleys, public places, or upon the private
property of others without the written consent of the owner
of such private property. Any cattle, horses, mules, sheep,
swine or goats found running at large shall be impounded and
disposed of in accordance with the provisions of the
statutes of the state in such case made and provided.
61I.000 Violation--Penalty.
I. Conviction for violation of any of the provisions of this
chapter shall be punished by a fine of not to exceed one
hundred dollars, together with costs of prosecution.
Effective date. The effective date of this ordinance shall be November 21, 1988.
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