Ohio town bans farm animals, exotic animals

Cindy Leise
The Chronicle-Telegram

ELYRIA — A crowing rooster complaint prompted City Council to unanimously approve an ordinance Monday regulating farm animals and exotic pets.

The measure was prompted by someone complaining to the city Building Department about a rooster that woke up a neighborhood, said Phil Lahetta, chief building official.

The law prohibits residents from keeping any horse, mule, cattle, sheep, goat, swine, rabbit, chicken, goose or other fowl or animal, except a dog or cat, within 500 feet of an inhabited dwelling.

Violating the law is punishable by up to a $100 fine.

The ordinance also prohibits all poisonous animals, including fanged snakes and spiders; apes, baboons and monkeys; bears; cheetahs; crocodiles; constrictor snakes of 6 feet or more; coyotes; game cocks and other fighting birds; hyenas; jaguars; leopards; lions; lynxes; foxes; piranhas, pumas, snow leopards, tigers, wolves and birds of prey.

The ordinance does not apply to licensed pet shops and circuses.

Violating the exotic animal portion of the law is punishable by up to six months in jail and a maximum fine of $1,000….

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