HomeMy WebLinkAbout1991/05/07 Item 10
COUNCIL AGENDA STATEMENT
Item ~
Meeting Date 05/07/91
Ordinance Amending section 6.04.060 of the
Municipal Code Relating to the Prohibition of
Swine in the City.
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Police JJJW
city Manager!
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The Chula vista Municipal Code (CVMC) expressly prohibits the
keeping of pigs (6.04.060). Mr. Dee VanWinkle, 501 Flower Street,
requested that the referenced ordinance be modified to provide for
the keeping of vietnamese pot-bellied pigs. The request was
referred to staff for report and recommendations by Council at its
April 9, 1991 meeting.
ITEM TITLE
SUBMITTED BY
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REVIEWED BY
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(4j5ths Vote:
Yes_No--1L)
RECOMMENDATION:
Place on first reading.
BOARDS/COMMISSIONS RECOMMENDATION:
Not Applicable
DISCUSSION:
Miniature pigs were originally domesticated in Asia. There is no
national registry for these exotic animals and since varieties
originate from different parts of Asia, they are variously referred
to as vietnamese, Chinese, Shar-pei or Asian pot-bellied pigs. For
purposes of this report, and any eventual inclusion in the CVMC,
they will be known as miniature pigs. All pure-bred miniature pigs
now in the United States came from an original stock of twelve
females and four males brought here from Canada in 1985. Properly
bred and cared for miniature pigs rarely exceed eighteen inches
(18") in height and one-hundred pounds (100 Ibs.) in weight.
Miniature pigs have a life expectancy of between fifteen and twenty
years. There are now several breeders in California and cities
across the state are grappling with this issue. Many cities have
made provisions for the keeping of miniature pigs.
The keeping of any animal, especially miniature pigs, in an urban
environment raises a number of public health and safety issues.
opponents also claim that breeder practices are unstable and that
these animals, when abandoned, will place a burden on animal
shelters to care for them. Experts on miniature pigs assert that
the animals have excellent dispositions, enjoy human companionship,
are intelligent and clean, and therefore, make great pets. Staff
is convinced that all legitimate health and safety concerns (both
for the animal and citizenry) can be mitigated to a degree which
makes the prohibition of these animals unreasonable. The animal's
general welfare, cleanliness and its restraint are addressed by the
proposed addition to section 6.04.060 described below.
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Meeting Date 05/07/91
Staff proposes that miniature pigs be allowed within the City under
the following conditions:
1. that there be no more than one (1) pig per dwelling unit;
2. that in no case shall a pig exceed eighteen inches (18")
at the shoulder or one-hundred pounds (100 Ibs.);
3. that breeding of miniature pigs, for any and all
purposes, be expressly prohibited;
4. that miniature pigs, and their owners, be held in
compliance with regulations existing in sections 6.04.110
(sanitation), 6.24 (restraint) and 6.26 (vehicular
transport safety) of the CVMC;
5. that failure to comply with these conditions may result,
after such notice as the circumstances permit, in the
animal being seized by Animal Control or Peace Officers.
Staff recognizes that regulations will not prevent cruelty to
miniature pigs or other unlawful activity by their owners; and that
especially with "trendy" pets, there is a potential risk of
unforeseeable problems. Therefore, staff would further recommend
that this action be re-evaluated for efficacy in one year. This
should provide sufficient time for the community, and staff, to
thoroughly evaluate the impact of miniature pigs on the quality of
life in Chula vista.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None
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