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TO: Mayor John D. Laesch
FROM: Michael Saville, 6th Ward Alderman
DATE: September 29, 2026
SUBJECT:
Requesting approval of revisions to Chapter 9: Animals to regulate the keeping of carrier, racing, hobby, and show pigeons and prohibit all other pigeons within the City of Aurora.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this request is to update Chapter 9 to establish clear, enforceable regulations governing the ownership, housing, and feeding of pigeons within the City of Aurora. These revisions create a legal framework that aligns with the Illinois Carrier, Racing, Hobby, and Show Pigeon Act while addressing health, sanitation, and nuisance concerns within the city.
These updates benefit the City by improving property maintenance standards, reducing pest-attracting behaviors such as ground feeding, clarifying allowable pigeon-keeping practices, and establishing an annual registration system for responsible owners. This ensures better compliance monitoring, improving neighborhood livability and public health overall.
BACKGROUND:
The revisions originate from a need to regulate pigeon-keeping practices in Aurora more effectively and to address a history of complaints regarding sanitation, property maintenance, and uncontrolled feeding.
The proposed code changes directly reference and align with the Carrier, Racing, Hobby, and Show Pigeon Act (510 ILCS 45/1 et seq.), ensuring that only those pigeon types defined in the Act may be legally kept or harbored within the city. All other pigeons are prohibited.
The draft language outlines requirements for annual registration, loft maintenance, feeding restrictions, compliance with building and property maintenance codes, and setback requirements for loft placement. These updates modernize regulatory standards and clarify enforcement authority.
DISCUSSION:
The proposed revisions will benefit the community by reducing unsanitary conditions and nuisance issues associated with unregulated pigeon feeding and unmanaged lofts. By...
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