Our family has recently been brought under scrutiny and the city counsel decided to vote against us without referring to state laws. When we presented them with the state code they tossed it aside. After talking to the county prosecutor I know that the city cannot legally take away our chickens, but that is what they are threatening to do.
If you are interested, here is our story:
My children and I are severely allergic to cats and dogs. In an effort to provide our children with the benefits of having pets we looked into the possibility of having a few chickens and found that they are not only friendly and engaging, but also entertaining. Just like any other pet they can be held and played with and will eat treats right out of your hands.
We looked into the city ordinances and had many inconclusive discussions about whether the City of Grace allowed chickens as pets- there are currently no laws or city ordinances against chickens. Our coop is smaller than many dog houses and the chicken run is much like a dog kennel. In preparing for our new pets we made decisions that would help maintain a quiet and well-kept neighborhood.
One day the city superintendent showed up to tell us we were not allowed to have chickens. When I told him there were no laws against it he said I would have to take it up with the city counsel. The four members of city counsel not only refused to accept the state code but voted that we needed to get rid of them. Then they threatened to trespass onto our property and remove the chickens themselves if we didn't do it in a timely fashion. Obviously, that would be breaking the law.
It concerns me to find that we aren't even protected by our own city and state laws. Although the Attorney General's Office assured me that there is a due process in changing laws, I cannot stand up alone against a group of representatives that will not see reason and uphold the law.
