Pawtucket, RI Animal Ordinances: Bird Protection (2026)

Article II of Chapter 116, Keeping of Pigeons, was approved October 17, 1967 and rewrites the licensing scheme adopted under the 1966 Code. A LOFT is defined as a building housing pigeons exclusively, capped at 75 pigeons, sited no closer than a reasonable distance from the neighbor's line as the Director of Planning and Redevelopment sets, with only one loft allowed per 5,000 square feet of land. Section 116-3 makes operating a pigeon loft without a City Council license unlawful, requires a certificate of compliance from the Division of Zoning and Code Enforcement attached to the application, limits each person, firm or corporation to a single license, and sets the fee at $25 per year from the license anniversary.

The Director of Planning and Redevelopment or deputies may enter the premises at any time to inspect under § 116-4. Section 116-5's operating rules require the premises stay clean and free of filth and rodent-attracting substances, pigeons be fed only within the loft or premises, pigeons fly only twice daily under the owner's control, lofts be enclosed against escape, food be stored in rodent-proof containers, and pigeons never be housed inside a dwelling house. Under § 116-6, the Director can order a violation corrected within a set time before suspending the license, and permit holders must report any change in the loft's location or physical setup.