Carpentersville clears up animal ordinance

Carpentersville residents still won't be allowed to keep a barnyard of animals in their backyards, but village trustees want to make room for a soft and fluffy creature that many people already keep as pets - rabbits.

Village trustees on Tuesday directed the village attorney to remove rabbits from an ordinance banning any cattle, horses, swine, sheeps, goats, ducks, geese, chickens or other poultry. The revision will allow rabbits to be kept as pets, but would prohibit the commercial sale of the animals.

Village President Ed Ritter said he did not know about the ordinance when his family once owned two rabbits about 10 years ago.

Trustees agreed rabbits should be taken off the banned list.

"I don't want anyone to be a criminal in their own home because they have a rabbit," Trustee Patricia Schultz said.

The issue was arose due to the promotional sale of chicks and rabbits at the Tractor Supply Co. store in Meadowdale Mall. The company had sought permission to sell the animals for a limited time, but the ordinance was unclear as to whether such practices were permitted.

Village Manager Craig Anderson granted the store permission, but asked the store manager to post a notice alerting customers that rabbits and chicks were not allowed to be kept in the village.

In addition to lifting the pet rabbit ban, trustees directed village attorney Jim Rhodes to clarify language related to animals kept in the village because a literal interpretation of the ordinance would prohibit animals in parades and circuses, as well as horse-riding in the village section of Raceway Woods.

"The ordinance was probably intended to keep people from raising chickens in their backyard," Anderson said. "I don't think it was intended to stop pet shops from selling animals or veterinarians from treating animals in the village."

Trustees will revisit the amended ordinance at a later date.