Anxious to rid themselves of their reputation for heavy-handed regulation, Pasco County commissioners rejected new rules that would have made it illegal to raise racing pigeons in the county.
Pasco commissioners rejected rules outlawing racing pigeons, a sport that has decades-old roots in the county.
Pasco is home to Gulfcoast Homing Club in the Shady Hills area, which annually puts on a series of races culminating with the $250,000 Gulfcoast Classic. Club member Jack Blazier told commissioners the sport's Pasco roots go back 40 years.
"We're the biggest, most prestigious club in the United States," he said.
But animal rights activists say the sport is not some harmless hobby. In a letter to commissioners, Jeffrey Kerr, general counsel for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals , said Pasco had become a "haven for racing, gambling and cruelty to animals."
Blazier said the club awards cash prizes, but he confirmed that during major races, side betting could be in the millions.
In big-money races, birds are released 600 miles from their home lofts and forced to find their way back. PETA contends that many of the birds die along the way or are killed if they don't win for their owners.
Kerr pointed out that pigeon racing is illegal in Florida, and that Pasco's zoning codes restrict property owners from keeping more than 20 birds per acre. But County Attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder advised commissioners that it is up to state authorities to regulate gambling.
"It's a state issue," Steinsnyder said. "Your purview is to regulate land use."
The Highlands subdivision, off Shady Hills Road just south of the Hernando County line, is home to about 100 homing pigeon owners. The subdivision, with mostly acre lots, is zoned to house the pigeons and also is home to the Gulfcoast Homing Club, the largest pigeon club in the United States with 200 members.
Commissioners were reluctant to do anything but make minor tweaks to the existing codes. They reached a consensus Tuesday to limit the size of pigeon lofts to 1,500 square feet per acre — roughly the size of a three-bedroom house — and require that they be built at least 25 feet from property lines.
"Most of the pigeons are in my area," Commissioner Pat Mulieri said. "I've been a commissioner for 16 years, and I've only had one complaint — and it came from someone who also had pigeons."
Source: Tampa Bay Online
