Blaine, MN Animal Ordinances: Bird Protection (2026)

Section 14-4, Trapping of Animals, opens with its purpose: 'to protect the public health and safety from unrestricted trapping and to preserve a balance of wildlife and birds and prevent the unselective catching, maiming, and destruction of wild animals, birds, and domestic animals that come in contact with traps.' The chapter defines a 'trap' in § 14-1 as any mechanical device, snare, net, or birdlime intended to capture animals or birds, and 'trapping' as setting or using such a device to capture or restrain an animal's or bird's free movement.

Subsection (d) then makes the ban explicit: 'trapping anywhere in the city is prohibited,' except as otherwise provided in the article. Two narrow carve-outs exist. Subsection (b) exempts wildlife conservation or animal control officers, or other designated city, county, state or federal representatives, who use a trap in the course of official duties for humane or authorized purposes. Subsection (c) exempts a property owner who sets a trap on their own land to prevent an unsafe or unhealthy condition, nuisance, or property destruction, but only if the traps comply with state laws, rules and regulations and pose no threat to public health or domesticated animals.

Because the section sits within chapter 14, Animals, a violation is enforced the same way as any other animal-code offense, through the city's designated animal control authority working with the Blaine Police Department, and is punishable as a misdemeanor under the chapter's general violation clause, § 14-30, and the Code-wide penalty provision, § 1-7.