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Louisville council bans feeding wildlife on public property
Summary
The Louisville City Council unanimously adopted ordinance 26-9 adding section 505.16 to prohibit feeding wildlife on public property and within specified distances of private property; council cited Ohio Department of Natural Resources guidance and animal-welfare concerns.
The Louisville City Council on April 20 adopted ordinance 26-9, which adds section 505.16 to the codified ordinances and prohibits feeding wildlife on public property and within 100 feet of private property lines. The measure passed unanimously.
Supporters said the restriction is limited in scope and includes exemptions for domesticated animals and typical elevated songbird feeders. “This does not preclude the feeding of domesticated animals or song birds from the elevated bird feeders that you typically see throughout the city,” a council member said during the debate.
Council members invoked guidance from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources as part of the rationale. “ODNR does strongly recommend exactly what we’re passing tonight,” one council member said, adding that feeding wildlife can disrupt migration patterns and harm animals.
City staff described the prohibited distances as 200 feet on public property and 100 feet from a property line and said the ordinance mirrors practices adopted in other communities. After a brief clarification about a typographical error in the draft language, the council voted and the mayor declared ordinance 26-9 duly passed and enacted.
The ordinance’s text allows ordinary backyard bird feeders for songbirds and does not change laws related to domestic pets. The council did not set an effective date in the meeting record; implementation details and enforcement procedures were not specified in the public discussion and were described as part of later staff workflow.
