8 Chickens, 3 Dogs, 2 Iguanas Are Too Much, Police Say

Bethlehem police have cited a man for harboring eight chickens and roosters in his South Bethlehem home, according to the department’s daily crime summary.

The man, who was not named, was also cited for keeping four other birds, three dogs and two iguanas—which exceeds the maximum allowable number of animals allowed in a dwelling, police said.

The home in question is at 913 Vernon St., which is not listed in Northampton County’s property records website.

The city’s zoning law considers any home with more than four domestic pets over 3 months of age to be a kennel, requiring a permit to operate, according to Suzanne Borzak, the city’s zoning officer.

Keeping domestic chickens was outlawed in Bethlehem in 2006 when City Council adopted an ordinance in response to citizen complaints about noise and concern about diseases, such as salmonella and West Nile Virus, that the animals carry, according to Kristen Wenrich, the director of the Bethlehem Health Bureau.