# Pigeon in the City



## chuyeeful (Dec 7, 2009)

To anyone out there who can help.....

I have been raising homing pigeons since I was a kid. I have recently bought a house w/ .40 acre lot in Maplewood MN. I bought the property with the coop in mind. I had assumed that all city would have some form of process for allowing pigeons. Unfortunately when I moved in and went to the city of Maplewood to apply for a permit.....I was told it was against city ordinance to have any fowl (any creature of wing feather etc., exception...small caged birds.) After 15 years of raising pigeon and then finally buying a house on a very spacious lot to find out I can't have those special birds I admire so much is truly heartbreaking, mind-wrenching, soul-sucking and everything else that goes along with it. Please....anyone.....advise me on how to overcome this ridiculous city ordinance.


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## bbcdon (Oct 16, 2007)

I don't know you can fight city hall. You can go ahead and do it, and hope that your neighbors are OK with it. If not, your only other recourse is to sell and move where they are not restricted. Sorry to hear this, best of luck, Don.


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## dogging_99 (Apr 21, 2009)

*City Code*

Check your City Code!
I found this were I Live Zoned Light Industry

16.01.160* Definitions.
The words and phrases used in this code shall have the meanings defined below unless otherwise specifically provided or unless clearly required by the context.* Questions of definition or word usage shall be interpreted by the city manager based on the context of their usage and the intention of the section of this code in which they occur.

Animal boarding means the operation of an establishment in which domesticated animals other than household pets are housed, groomed, bred, boarded, trained or sold.* This term shall not include the operation of a kennel.

L.** I-1 – Light Industrial District.
1.* Intent.* The I-1 – Light Industrial District is intended to provide locations for a variety of workplaces, including light industrial uses, research and development offices and other institutions.* This District is also intended to accommodate secondary uses that complement and support the primary workplace uses, such as hotels, restaurants, convenience shopping and child care.* Additionally, this District is intended to encourage the development of planned office and business parks;* and to promote excellence in the design and construction of buildings, outdoor spaces, transportation facilities and streetscapes.
2.* Principal uses.* Principal uses permitted in the I-1 District shall be as follows:
cc.**Veterinary facilities, small and large animal clinics and *boarding*.


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## 1981 (Aug 9, 2006)

If you are a member of the AU try contacting them for help. And if worst comes to worst, move.


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## warpaint (Dec 10, 2008)

I'm pretty sure there are other fanciers in the same city that raises birds. If you can probably get signatures of everyone in the city of maplewood who raises birds and bring it to city hall with some AU pamphlets and educate them you might stand a chance. Otherwise ask your neighbors and try raising your birds until your told to get rid of them. There were a few flyers in the AU convention in 08 that were Maplewood flyers so I presume they are flying without permits.


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## dvtlegend (Oct 20, 2007)

I know of over 15 flyers that live in maplewood, if you have almost half acre land, who's gonna see your birds. The guys I know have smaller lots than that. It's that they have good neighbors and are good at taking care of their birds to prevent nuisance and mess. Should of checked city ordinance before the move as well.


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## Flapdoodle (Nov 8, 2009)

pigeons are small caged birds, make your neighbors a plate of cookies, race with only three or four pigeons (check this website for info on this http://www.drjohnlamberton.com/) We have a guy in our club in the city that has a back fence twenty feet from his back door, tiny lot, great neighbors. He shop vacs his backyard everyday during the molt. Has lofts painted to match his house. I would not spend much money but build a very nice looking (for the neighbors) 4X4 loft. I would just do it, start very small, and do it... never give your birds open loft, fly them just before feeding, never allow them on your roof or theirs, out of site out of mind. Teach the birds that they either fly or are in the loft, fast trappers… just some ideas…


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## [MN]eXist^_^ (Feb 13, 2009)

Like DVT said there are a lot of homing guys in maplewood. Go to the city with the list of flyers in maplewood and they'll help u fight the city! Sounds rough but do what u gotta do. Why can they but not you?

Or get the packet from the AU it is realy helpful and made for ordinances.


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## JRNY (Nov 17, 2009)

I dont if this could help you out. It only has 3 counties of MN. Maybe one of them is yours.
http://www.ecode360.com/?custId=FA2234


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## parrisc (Feb 14, 2007)

If you look up the word “fowl” it refers to chickens and ducks, I believe pigeons would fall in the category of “small caged birds” Like someone else suggested, start out small, make you r loft so it blends in with your house and garage. If the pigeon cop comes after you, challenge them on the definition of fowl. If they didn’t explicit include pigeons you might have a case. 

Good Luck


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## bbcdon (Oct 16, 2007)

I also believe you might be able to have them categorized as pets, not farm animals. My city just passed an ordinance 6 months ago to allow the keeping of racing pigeons. There are people that I know of that raise smaller birds for commercial purposes, so they are in violation of code. But, what I always say, if your neighbors are cool with it, give it a try. My neighbors have their own code violations, so I don't think they will complain about my birds. If they ever do, they will get to see the ugly side of me!


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## Guest (Dec 10, 2009)

the problem is always that people hear so many bad things about pigeons that they join in the bashing of them right of the bat .. the funny thing is most people havent even really seen a pigeon up close to make the judgement for themselves so when they do its a totally different story so if you do have some cool neighbors all should be well and its true pigeons arent classified as fowl so that usually allows people to keep them at the residences so plez do look into that


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## bbcdon (Oct 16, 2007)

You are rite. I think they see the feral pigeons all around town pooping, they hear all about the diseases they carry, and have an impression that all pigeons are bad.


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## Guest (Dec 10, 2009)

you have no idea how many times people have come to my house and said: " THOSE ARE PIGEONS .. WOW THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL "and I say yes those are pigeons lol it amazes me how clueless people really are


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## dvtlegend (Oct 20, 2007)

parrisc said:


> If you look up the word “fowl” it refers to chickens and ducks, I believe pigeons would fall in the category of “small caged birds” Like someone else suggested, start out small, make you r loft so it blends in with your house and garage. If the pigeon cop comes after you, challenge them on the definition of fowl. If they didn’t explicit include pigeons you might have a case.
> 
> Good Luck


You got a point their. Also you got to think that people raises doves inside their homes. Doves are caged birds sold at pet stores. I even see the wild type colored ones for sale as well. So isn't pigeons of the dove family and not fowl. That should be brought up to the city council and tested against the ordinance.


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