Looking for info on ordinances in Oxford Ma

[dfarrarjr]

Who? What? Where? Why?

I cant get much info from those at the town hall right now.
Been pushed from office to office and no one knows.

Thanks

 

[GardenerGal]

Oxford might have an animal control officer (dog officer), and that would be the individual who should have some idea of what the rules are. Ask at the police department, since dog/animal controll officers are sometimes part of the force.

In Massachusetts, each town's animal control officer is required to annually inspect every site where livestock and poultry are kept, and keep a census of what and how many of each kind of animal you have. Then he or she sends the list (it's called a barn book) to the Mass. Dept. of Agricultural Resources, who in turn file it and make the information available to the USDA. Dogs, cats and other household pets are not part of the barn book -- dogs of course are separately registered.

Hope that helps. If you can't get anywhere in Oxford, PM me and I'll see if I can help you find out. I'm not in Oxford, but things tend to run similarly all across Mass.

 

[mamagardener]

I live in Charlton, and when I called the town hall I talked to someone in zoning. Luckily Charlton has no laws against chickens. Seeing that we were a cow town until recently, that makes perfect sense. The woman told me Charlton is very animal friendly. Maybe Oxford is the same , seeing that it is right next door.

 

[GardenerGal]

That's what I guess, too. I have friends in Spencer and they seem not to have any restrictions on poultry either. All of the towns west of Worcester, except perhaps for the really upscale-development communities, are pretty rural and likely still are geared toward farming and country life.

The only problem might be if you're in a developed area with houses close together, and there might be a noise ordinance that would give neighbors the right to complain about loud roosters. But I do think that the town dog- or animal control officer will have the answers.

 

[Grateful Dad]

" The bylaws in Ludlow are worded not to forbid farming but to make it difficult to get yourself taxed as a farm. Because in MA working farms have a different property tax scale (ever wonder why there are so many little "tree farms" in the middle of subdivisions and developments? That's why), Ludlow is saying that you have to have five acres and make some money before it'll let you call yourself a farm. The way it's worded is actually not forbidding the raising of animals."
this seems to be the case in most MASS towns, like mine Athol
Joe