It's Official: Chickens Can Be Pets

If you live in a rural area of the township, you can now have chickens as pets.

The South Whitehall commissioners, responding to an 8-year-old girl's plea last year to keep two chickens, unanimously voted Wednesday night for an ordinance change that will allow it.

In fact, the revised township ordinance will actually allow residents in rural areas to keep up to four chickens as pets, as long as the chickens are contained in a coop, with setback requirements, when outdoors.

The vote capped a five-month process that began when from township zoners to allow Carisa to have the pets. When the , they to the township commissioners.

Though the commissioners were receptive from the start, the and staff had to closely review any proposed changes to the township ordinance. .

Carisa, her grandfather and mother were not on hand Wednesday night for the commissioners' vote.