Proposed Ordinance Over Feeding Wild Animals Causes Ruckus

Supervisor Mike Debbis called a proposed ordinance governing excessive feeding of wild animals and feral cats a "good start."

Residents? Not so much.

"No it's not!" one woman cried out.

Another bellowed, "Don't tread on me."

A man in the middle of the room yelled, "If these people don't like country living, let them move to the city!"

"But you don't feed wild animals," Debbis countered, to more jeers.

, when a resident implored the board to help her with a neighbor who she said was excessively feeding birds and wild animals.

She said droppings and other issues have caused health and safety concerns for residents there in her Timber Run neighborhood. She said as many as 52 birds have been counted in the yard at one time as well as raccoons, feral cats and deer.

But Supervisor Elizabeth Cowden agreed with some residents in the audience at the meeting who said the issue was a civil one, and should be taken care of at that level.

"The township shouldn't be involved," she told fellow members of the board.

The proposed ordinance was prepared by Director of Zoning Bruce Bosle, who said he had researched regulations used in other towns.

"No person should knowingly feed, bait of provide any wild animal or feral cat with access to food on lands that are publicly or privately owned," the proposed ordinance read. "No person shall purposely or knowingly leave or store any refuse, garbage, food product, pet food, forage product or supplement, salt or fruit in a manner that would constitute an attraction to any wild animal."

It also calls for those residents with bird feeders to "immediately" remove excess seed that falls to the ground.

Solicitor John Smith said that the proposed ordinance, which called for a $1,000-a-day fine for violations, might be a bit stringent—and said that he and Bosle would work to see if there are any existing regulations under which to cite people who excessively feed and bait animals "so as not to disrupt the bird feeders of the world."

"If we can cite them, we will," he said.