The Albemarle city staff is working to amend animal ordinances in the city.

Kevin Robinson, director of the city’s planning and development services, presented several new text amendments the city staff recently made in regards to the ordinances during Albemarle City Council’s July 8 meeting. He said many of the ordinances have not been updated since the 1950s.

The staff made changes requiring two acres in order to keep a horse and another half-acre for each additional horse. The original rules made it unlawful for any person to keep more than two horses on any premises within the city.

Every stable or property must also be regularly inspected and meet the sanitary standards of the Health Department.

For cattle, it is unlawful for any person to keep cattle in the limits of the city within 400 feet of any building or house.

The staff made changes to ownership of rabbits, allowing people to keep as many as four rabbits of greater than six weeks in age on any single lot within the city limits.

When kept outside, the rabbits need to be confined to side and rear yards only and visibly screened from public rights-of-way. Any pens or enclosures have to be a minimum of 20 feet from adjacent property lines.

The updated regulations will limit chicken and fowl to one per 2,000 square feet of land within a single lot and a maximum of 20 per property.

Also, two acres are required to keep one rooster and another half-acre for each additional rooster.

All chickens and fowls must be kept outside in pens, coups or other enclosures at all times and these enclosures need to provide a minimum of four square feet of ground space for the chicken or fowl.

The enclosures need to be in the side or rear yards, visibly screened from public rights-of-way. Any pens or enclosures have to be a minimum of 20 feet from adjacent property lines.

Male goats are not allowed in the city.

No swine is allowed in the city except one pot-bellied or other miniature species of pig that is no more than 24 inches in height.

The council delayed voting on the updated animal ordinances until the Aug. 5 council meeting.