If it quacks like a duck…

Council discusses request for pet

Kensington Town Councillors didn’t ruffle their feathers after they received a correspondence from a town resident.

“Do we have a bylaw that says you’re not allowed to have chickens in town?” said Councillor David Doucette during Monday’s regular council meeting.

“I believe our nuisance bylaw would restrict that,” CAO Geoff Baker replied.

“Well I had a lady get a hold of me and she wants to know, if she can have a duck, she wants to get one duck for a pet,” Doucette responded.

“A duck for a pet?” Mayor Rowan Caseley asked for clarification.

“A duck for a pet,” Doucette said reiterated. Under the town’s nuisance bylaw in section 2.13, it states, “Any person who keeps, owns, or harbours animals or birds that make or cause noises or sounds that unreasonably disturb or tend to disturb the quiet, peace, rest, enjoyment or comfort of the neighbourhood or of persons who inhabit any dwelling, apartment or other type of residence in the vicinity, or of persons in the vicinity, is guilty of an offence.”

“That is the only thing that would allow us to regulate such a thing,” said Baker.

“For now we should talk with the resident, and I would suggest if it is allowed, it should be in a regulated environment.”

This isn’t the first request the town has fielded regarding birds.

No decision was made on the request for the pet duck.