Lowell City Code Section 104-34 flatly prohibits keeping animals or fowl within the city limits except licensed pigeons, so backyard chickens, roosters and other livestock are not allowed. Separately, Section 171-11 bars keeping fowl, swine or goats without a Board of Health license.
Lowell's general restriction on keeping animals and fowl is set out in Chapter 104, Article III, Section 104-34, which provides that 'No person shall keep animals or fowl within the city limits, except pigeons.' The code's definitions (Sec. 104-33) define FOWL to include 'chickens, pigeons, doves, capons, hens, turkeys, pheasants, guinea fowl, ducks, roosters and geese,' so backyard hens and roosters fall squarely within the prohibition. Pigeons are the sole exception and may be kept only under a license issued by the Lowell Health and Human Services Department pursuant to Sec. 104-32, with no license available for any other animal or fowl. The Health and Sanitation chapter reinforces this through Chapter 171, Article I, Section 171-11, which provides that 'No fowl, swine or goats shall be kept within the City without a license from the Board of Health, and only in such place and manner as it may direct, nor shall any person slaughter swine in the public streets of the City.'
Keeping prohibited animals or fowl in violation of Section 104-34 is enforced by the Lowell Board of Health and Animal Control, which may order removal of the animals and issue penalties under the Chapter 104 violation and penalty provisions (Sec. 104-42 for the Article III animals-and-fowl sections). Keeping fowl, swine or goats without a Board of Health license violates Section 171-11 and is enforceable as a public-health nuisance.
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