A woman in Newfoundland has stated that her 70-year-old mother is facing a fine of $5,000 for feeding pigeons in her backyard in St. John’s. According to Jessica Rendell, her mother, Susan Rendell, has been feeding the birds for over a decade, either by placing food on her roof or letting them eat from her hands. The City of St. John’s has charged Susan Rendell with violating a municipal bylaw prohibiting the feeding of wildlife on residential property. The bylaw allows for the feeding of songbirds, but only with bird feeders. The law also states that feeding songbirds on residential property should not attract insects, rodents, gulls, crows, birds of prey, or flocks of pigeons.
Susan Rendell was charged on April 13, and the case was adjourned to July 20. Jessica Rendell is questioning the City’s use of tax dollars to prosecute her mother for feeding the pigeons, which have been a great comfort to her mother, especially after going through cancer treatments a couple of years ago. However, a spokesperson for the City of St. John’s has stated that the bylaw came into effect in June 2019 to curb the city’s rat population.