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Windsor

No Enforcement For Chickens In Tecumseh

The debate over urban chickens in the Town of Tecumseh will likely happen in the fall when they discuss an all encompassing bylaw.

In the meantime, council decided not to enforce any animal control regulations that limit chickens on residential properties.

Resident, Dan Beaulieu addressed council Tuesday night after being ordered to reduce the size of his flock from nine chickens to three. Administration told council they placed the order based on the town's current animal control bylaw that stipulates a resident may not own more than three dogs.

Mayor Gary McNamara says its clear there are holes in their current bylaws, so it's not fair to enforce the order.

"We need to wait until the bylaw is actually a document that can actually stand up the scrutiny of the courts, not one that can be challenged," says McNamara.

Administration has been advised to research bylaws that limit chickens to lot size, zoning or regulated standards.

"The issue really at hand here, more than anything, is a property standards issue. So you can see the difficulty that the planning department is faced with that this is something new and I think there is going to be a greater demand on municipalities to come up with the right mix," says McNamara.

McNamara expects the report back with options in the fall.

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