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City council right to take a step back

The Minot City Council is on the right track by reviewing the city’s list of banned animals.

Meeting Wednesday, the Minot City Council, acting as the committee of the whole, supported the creation of two ad hoc committees. One would revisit the list of animals banned in city limits and the other would consider how to better address wild, nuisance animals.

It only makes sense that residents be governed by their own set of rules, not by decisions made long ago by people no longer affected by the ordinances.

While animals such as bears, coyotes and crocodiles are banned now and probably should continue to be outlawed, residents’ views on chickens, pitbulls and monkeys may have changed over the years. Updating the ordinance is not only due but would conceivably make enforcing the law easier. Laws that outlast their makers are readily ignored and often enforced arbitrarily.

Time will tell how contentious the banned pet list will become. It may turn out to be no big deal at all.

Dealing with nuisance animals, though, could be trickier. Some of the “nuisance” turkeys trotting around Minot seem to be quite well fed, meaning they have human friends in town. Talking turkey to those residents will have to be part of the solution to unwanted small and dangerous big game animals in town.

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