Kalispell gets tougher on what pets leave behind

The Kalispell City Council on Monday passed a “pooper scooper” amendment to the animal ordinance but postponed action on chickens.

“We’re kind of playing cleanup here,” City Attorney Charlie Harball said of the revised animal ordinance.

It follows the council’s approval of a tougher dangerous dog ordinance in November.

Harball called the revised animal ordinance a “pooper scooper law,” and noted it requires people to pick up after their pets as it affects their neighbors.

“We’ve got some situations in town that are pretty disgusting,” Harball said, noting there are people with more than one dog who don’t pick up excrement for months.

Kalispell uses a complaint-driven system that likely wouldn’t result in too many complaints in the winter. That changes when the snow melts and it starts to warm up in the spring, however.

Harball noted the revised ordinance also applies to cats. He cited one example where someone complained about a neighbor’s cat frequently performing bodily functions under his porch.

Most offenses under the revised ordinance will be civil infractions as opposed to misdemeanors. Offenders can be fined up to $500 per day at the discretion of the judge.

Per the recommendation of council member Duane Larson, the council postponed until April 18 an ordinance revision dealing with chickens.

Council members wondered whether to limit chickens to six per parcel, which was Harball’s recommendation based on other cities in Montana. Although noting he has pressed the issue for some time, Larson said he was unsure about the numerical restriction.

One part of the proposal includes outlawing roosters in the city.

Kalispell resident John Whitmore spoke during public comment and said he raises chickens. Six is a reasonable number, he said, but noted that one can’t buy less than 15 on the Internet.

He has 13 free-range chickens who have a coop but can come and go as they please. “We get about seven or eight eggs per day,” he said, noting he uses them to feed his family, which includes six children and three foster children.

Council member Randy Kenyon opposed any restriction on the number of hens. He even brought a dozen eggs to the meeting. “The idea of having locally grown produce is a good idea,” Kenyon said.

The current ordinance prohibits fowl running at large. It is a misdemeanor but would be a civil infraction under the proposal.

Reporter Caleb Soptelean may be reached at 758-4483 or by email at csoptelean@dailyinterlake.com.