In Pennsylvania, the Borough of West Mifflin, a suburb of Pittsburg, has recently proposed an ordinance that would prohibit almost all animals from being kept as pets. The proposed ordinance would limit each household to only five pets, of which the only allowable species would be dogs, cats, birds, horses, and honey bees.
Households would also be limited to only one bird. Despite the current ordinance considering fish to be pet animals, under the new ordinance, fish and invertebrates would not be allowable species meaning aquariums would be illegal to keep in the jurisdiction of West Mifflin. The penalty for violation of the ordinance would be a fine of up to $600, plus costs. Failure to pay the fine could result in imprisonment.
There will be a meeting on the ordinance on June 18, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. in the Municipal Building at 1020 Lebanon Road, West Mifflin, PA 15122.
Residents of West Mifflin can email their council person to voice their opposition to the ordinance. The United States Association of Reptile Keepers has the email addresses of the boroughs elected officials and a model letter West Mifflin residents can use to draft their correspondence here https://usark.org/24pa/.
Art Parola
Update:
A new draft is now linked (see below), but not much has changed. All “animals” (see definition) are still banned. Only “pets” (see limited definition) will be allowed. Per the definitions, many species, including all reptiles and amphibians, most small mammals, non-domesticated fish, etc., will be banned. Any species that the Borough does not consider “domestic” will be banned. Pet limits for dogs, cats, and birds still apply.
“It shall be unlawful for any person/owner in the Borough to house, keep or maintain any animals or pets in or on any structure, living unit or unimproved land in the Borough, except as is provided hereinafter.” This means that all “animals” (see definition below) are banned and some “pets” have limits. Only listed and “domestic” (we prefer domesticated) animals are considered to be pets, which means most species of pets will be banned.
Even non-domesticated aquarium fish would be banned (i.e., most fish that are not goldfish or koi).
There is a limit of one bird per “living unit.” (i.e. house)There is a limit of three dogs and five combined dogs and cats. Horses are allowed with restrictions. Honey bees are allowed with restrictions.
“Animals”: shall mean any living thing that moves but is not human, i.e., including but not limited to, fowl, cows, swine, reptiles, sheep, monkeys, chimpanzees, baboons, lions, tigers, bobcats, cougars, leopards, jaguars, non-domesticated cats, wolves, coyotes, foxes, jackals, non-domesticated dogs, bears, venomous snakes and constrictor snakes, alligators, crocodiles, porcupines, weasels, badgers, elephants, hyenas, hippopotamuses, giraffes, camels, cattle, cows, hogs, pigs, sheep, goats, horses, raccoons, kangaroos, opossums, rhinoceroses, anteaters, sloths, armadillos, mongooses, skunks, venomous lizards, emus, llamas, alpacas, etc., but excluding “Pets”.
“Pets”: shall mean common domestic household animals including but not limited to: cats, dogs, fish, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, etc.
More at https://usark.org/24pa/
About the author
Art Parola focuses on animal welfare, sustainable development, and conserving nature, particularly through sustainable use policy initiatives. He is currently a consultant while pursuing a law degree. His writing and photographs have appeared in numerous online articles, as well as in print publications in multiple countries around the world.
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