Can breeding
pedigreed dogs and raising chickens and pigeons within the residential
district of North Pelham be classed as "sporting" or is it just a
plain nuisance?
That was the
subject of controversy at the meeting of the beleaguered North Pelham Board
of Trustees on Wednesday night. Five Chester Park women declared that their
lives were being made miserable by barking dogs, crowing roosters and
offensive odors which they claimed emanated from the property of Alfred L.
Gamber, whose home is at No. 16 Maple Ave. Mr. Gamber is the clerk to the
Board of Education. He denied all their contentions, declaring that he
raised a few puppies as a hobby and that his chickens were no more annoying
than the fowl of several other residents of the village.
After listening
to arguments and cross-talk for almost two hours, Mayor Eugene L. Lyon
announced that the board would consider the adoption of an ordinance
regulating the keeping of animals and fowl within the village limits.
The
complainants, all nearby residents, were Mrs. Harold S. Ring, of No. 12
Maple Avenue; Mrs. J. K. Clark of No. 25 Linden Avenue; Mrs. H. Zobel of No.
18 Maple Avenue; Mrs. Mabel Gates of No. 19 Linden Avenue; and Mrs. Edith
Becker of No. 15 Linden Ave.
They see Mr.
Gamber’s interest in dogs and fowl as a business, a violation of the
zoning ordinance.
They charged him
with selling dogs and eggs and pointed to an advertisement in a New York
newspaper offering puppies for sale. They told the Board also that he had
sold eggs.
"We tried
to buy some one day and he told us that he had only enough for his Pelham
Manor customers," said one of the complainants.
"His
rooster starts to crow every morning at 3 o’clock," said another.
"And his
dogs howl all day long,"
"--and the
odor from the place is terrific."
"He has two
dozen pigeons in one little coop. I cannot sell or rent my property because
of this nuisance."
I called the
police and I got no satisfaction." These were just a few of the
remarks.
In response, Mr.
Gamber denied that he was commercializing his property. "I am breeding
fine hunting dogs because I love dogs. I am not breeding them for
sale," he said. "It seems funny to me that although I have kept
chickens since 1926 no one has complained until now."
He said that his
place had recently been inspected by the country health department, and it
was approved.
Gamber offered
the testimony of friends to show that he had a sportsman’s interest
instead of a business interest in raising dogs.
The trustees
discussed the possibility of passing an ordinance regulating the harboring
of dogs and fowl in the village.
Gamber said he
would be willing to get rid of his chickens if others in the village did
likewise. The matter of adopting an ordinance will be discussed at a meeting
next Thursday night.