Proposed changes on animal abuse, selling eggs from urban chickens

A new version of city animal laws would toughen penalties on abusers and make life a little easier for urban chicken people.

The council public safety committee approved the changes Wednesday and sent them to the full council.

They would double the possible fines for animal abuse from $500 to $1,000 maximum.

Minor abuse would be a fine of from $75 to $1,000 and cruelty to animals or using them in fighting would be a fine from $250 to $1,000.

As for the chickens, the law would allow people to sell eggs at the site where they raise the birds. Currently, laws forbid egg sales in residential areas. The change for egg sales would mesh with changes that allowed produce sales from homes.

Committee chairman John Sharp said the new law would still forbid chickens closer than 100 feet from a neighbor’s home but eliminates that 100 feet bar from any buildings used by people, such as garages or sheds.

On the possible down side for urban chicken folks, the new law would allow them to buy 15 chicks at a time instead of 25.

That’s because the city allows a max of 15 chickens, Sharp said.

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