Animal Sanctuary Calls On Town To Restrict Fowl Housing

BABYLON, NY — An animal sanctuary in upstate New York is calling the Town of Babylon to reject the proposal to lessen the restrictions in the town code to allow residents to keep chickens or other fowls in their homes.

In November, local resident Robert Frampton spoke to the board members asking them to remove the required 100-foot setback to avoid attracting rats, which would potentially prevent some residents from keeping chickens in their backyard.

The proposal was met with opposition from a local animal rights group and now from Woodstock Farm Sanctuary located in High Falls, NY.

In a letter to town officials, the farm stated that they not only rejected the proposal to remove the setback limit, but instead add more restrictions to keeping fowl, calling it a matter of "public health, public safety, and animal cruelty prevention."

"Proponents of slashing the setback requirements have maintained that their activities will not cause any increase in the rat population in Babylon," the letter reads. "This claim is either disingenuous or ill-informed. Rats congregate, breed, and thrive where there is an easy source of food and shelter. Coops for domestic fowl provide both. Refusing to enforce restrictions or easing fowl housing statutes encourages not less but more domestic fowl, and that is by definition an open invitation for rat infestation, and rats do not respect property lines."

In addition, the farm states that having chickens or other fowls as pets can lead to diseases such as Salmonella and the avian flu.

"Lax municipal statutes which encourage the proliferation of backyard fowl in such a densely populated area represent public health malpractice," the letter reads.

Finally, the farm also states that keeping fowls as pets can potentially lead to animal cruelty. According to Woodstock Sanctuary, the group previously rescued and sheltered domestic ducks from abandonment in Babylon which he group stated that this was "taxing" to their "over-burdened facilities, staff, and volunteers."

"And our experience is not unique; sanctuaries everywhere are spread thin by backyard operations and the neglect, abuse, abandonment, and surrenders they so often engage in. Regularly sourcing their animals from chicks literally mailed through the post office like packing peanuts, these operations get birds too young to sex, and the many unwanted roosters included have bad ends - or further deplete the capacity and scant resources of animal sanctuaries," the letter reads. "This is especially egregious in communities such as Babylon whose local shelters are not equipped to handle domestic fowl victimized by abuse, neglect, and abandonment. Laws that encourage an increase in such practices pour fuel on the same fires we work so hard every day to extinguish. Although Woodstock Sanctuary is not a part of your community, many of our members are among your constituents, and we are among the charitable organizations compelled to cope with the fallout of your decisions."

What do you think? Do you think the Town of Babylon should allow "backyard chickens" or other fowls as pets? Let us know in the comments below.