Stefan Remund, 11, has given away three of his chickens as he waits to learn whether the Burnsville City Council will let him keep the rest: Plymouth Bard Rocks named Sha Kota, Rachel and Tilly, and a Buff Orphington dubbed Miss Marilyn Monroe.

Tuesday, the council is to hear staff recommendations on whether to allow any live chickens inside the city -- and also how many dogs an owner can have without getting a kennel license.

Last fall, City Council members began scrutinizing the city's animal ordinance after a neighborhood complaint about the chickens. Council members realized that not only are chickens a problem, but so are dogs. Residents are allowed only two dogs with individual dog licenses. For three or more, they need a kennel license, too, at a cost of $50.

Council member Dan Gustafson knows firsthand the dilemma many Burnsville residents face: He's violating the current law.

He has three small dogs that weigh a combined 30 pounds. Gustafson, who realized during a council meeting in October that he was violating the ordinance, has recused himself from voting on the topic since then. He's kept his dogs, Zoe, Rusty and Belle, as he waits to see whether he needs to buy a kennel license.

With lap dogs now so prevalent, he said, it's not unusual for people to have three.

"We have a lot of residents in the city who have more than two dogs," Gustafson said Wednesday, referring to research by city workers. "The staff was astounded."

Until it reaches a decision on chickens and dogs, the City Council had directed the city's animal control officer to not enforce the animal ordinance in those regards. Next Tuesday, the council may decide whether it wants to leave the ordinance as is or change it at an upcoming council meeting.

"We're actually taking this opportunity to clean up this ordinance as a whole, and we've got a number of housekeeping things that we're going to propose," said Tom Hansen, deputy city manager of operations. "Most other cities allow three dogs rather than two. Most cities don't allow chickens."

Cats haven't been an issue

The current ordinance also allows as many as five cats or ferrets without a kennel license. That part of the ordinance is not being considered for change.

"Cats haven't been a big issue," Hansen said.

As far as chickens, Hansen said, the options would be to continue to prohibit chickens or adopt an ordinance that would permit a set number of chickens and would institute requirements such as a fee, coop specifications, permission of neighbors and fencing.

Meanwhile, Stefan is asking the council to change the ordinance, or make an exception for his chickens, which he raised as a school project. After addressing the City Council last fall, he gave three chickens to an Arden Hills girl whose own chickens were killed by a dog or coyote, and he kept the four others.

"We really love these four," said his mother, Jen Remund.

Stefan is becoming resigned to losing the rest of his chickens.

"If we have to give away the girls, we'll give away the girls, in a more progressive community," said his mother. "They're so sweet and so loving, it just seems silly that we can't keep them."

"I really hope that they'll overlook the unfair ordinance that was there," Stefan said.

Joy Powell • 952-882-9017