The City of Calgary announced the official relaunch of its program recognizing chickens as licensed pets under its responsible pet ownership bylaw. .“We heard from Calgarians that modern pet ownership means more than just caring for cats and dogs,” said City of Calgary Coordinator of Administration and Pet Licensing, Animal Services Tara Decker in a Wednesday press release..“The rules are designed to mitigate concerns before they start — things like not allowing roosters and ensuring proper housing, training, care conditions, and opportunities to address any concerns from your community.” .The release said the City of Calgary is granting an unlimited number of licences this year after the success of the pilot project in 2022. .Calgarians can apply for an urban livestock licence to keep backyard hens effective Wednesday. The program is aligned with national care guidelines and structured similarly to other municipalities across Canada with urban hen programs. .The release went on to say Calgarians interested in applying for a licence will need to commit to excellent training and caretaking to meet the application criteria. These criteria include being 18+ years old or having a parent or guardian applying on a minor’s behalf, completing approved hen-keeping and care training, owning the property hens will be kept on or having written permission from the owner, acquiring a premise identification number from the Alberta government, and must be in groups of two or four. .Applicants must contact City of Calgary Planning and Development to discuss where the coop will be built in their backyards. .Urban hens began to be recognized as licensed pets in Calgary in 2022, allowing homeowners to start erecting coops..READ MORE: FOWL PLAY: Calgary urban hens program hatching this spring.One hundred urban livestock licenses were handed out. .“The urban hen program introduces urban livestock licensing and regulation to Calgarians, ensuring proper housing, care conditions, and opportunities to address any community-based concerns are incorporated,” said City of Calgary strategic services leader Jennifer Lawlor.
