WRITTEN BY AMY WORDEN
Cross-posted from The Philadelphia Inquirer / Philly.com
Right now, if you live in Philadelphia you are forbidden from keeping chickens or pigs or other farm animals.
But you can keep a horse tied to a chain link fence behind your house.
No permit. No license and a minimal level of care.
That may soon change.
A Philadelphia councilman is seeking an ordinance requiring anyone keeping a horse in the city to have at least a half-acre of land. It also would require licensing and inspections.
The bill was introduced by Bill Greenlee Thursday just days after three horses and a dead pony were removed from a ramshackle building in North Philadelphia.
“The Pennsylvania SPCA supports the efforts of Councilman Greenlee and the Mayor’s office to put long-needed regulations in place regarding horse ownership in the city,” said PSPCA CEO Jerry Buckley . “All too frequently, our agency is in involved in rescuing horses from unsanitary and unsafe conditions where they are living in backyard stables, weed and trash filled lots and or wandering neighborhoods… too many of these animals are suffering from cruelty and neglect because they are simply being kept in conditions that do not meet their needs. We believe this bill is step in the right direction and long overdue.”
An aide said Greenlee would be scheduling a hearing on the matter. Continue reading >>
RELATED READING
— Space and the City: Stray horses raise issue of backyard horsekeeping; The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philly.com); by Amy Worden; June 14, 2012
Tuesday's Horse 
Franklin, a paso fino, and Rosie, an appaloosa/paint are in the picture who were abandoned and taken from the SPCA to LCR. They’ve come a long way and are very nice ponies.
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Thank you Chris for sharing that update.
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