Politics & Government

Mendota Heights Nixes Pet Pigeon Proposal

The Mendota Heights Council voted last week to keep the city free of pet pigeons.

The Mendota Heights City Council voted against amending city code to allow for pet pigeons at its Feb. 5 meeting.

Vince Nonnemacher, a commercial contractor who raised racing pigeons as a child applied for a permit with the planning commission to build a dovecote for pigeons in the city, according to the South-West Review.

But the city council decided against allowing pigeons out of noise and odor concerns.

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"There are many different animals that people would like to have," Mayor Sandra Krebsbach said, according to the Review. "We've had people approach us about having chickens, we've had someone with goats, and we have turned those down."

The South-West Review has more about Nonnemacher's pigeon plans:

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Nonnemacher told the council his intended operation would be unobtrusive -- an outbuilding of about 20 cubic feet that would house a maximum of 32 birds. 

Although he said some owners keep 100 birds or more to increase their odds of breeding a quality racer, Nonnemacher told the council he believed he could race successfully with a far smaller selection.

"Only one pigeon wins a race," Nonnemacher said. "You don't need a hundred pigeons."

He added that pigeon coops don't pose a health risk or bother neighbors if the owner performs the necessary maintenance.

"If you do everything right, a loft does not smell," Nonnemacher explained. "You clean it every day. It's just like a person walking a dog. You clean up after the dog."


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