Penticton council have rejected an application by a local couple who pleaded they be allowed to raise and consume rabbits inside their Penticton home.
The couple, who were not named in documents, presented to council at Tuesday’s regular meeting. They applied to have a temporary use permit that would allow for intensive impact agricultural use and an associated structure for keeping rabbits for personal consumption inside their home on Columbia Street.
Staff recommended denying the temporary use permit.
Just over 100 public notices were sent to nearby properties located within 100 metres of the house in question and staff received 14 letters, almost all of them opposed to the issuance of the temporary use permit.
Most of the letters voiced concerns about how this operation would affect their property and neighbourhood.
“I am a very close neighbor and I am not in favour of this proposal,” said one letter. “First and foremost this kind of activity in a residential area can infect our homes and vehicles by bringing rodent activity. I have spent money already to have my vehicles sprayed because of mice in this area. It’s very expensive to repair and remove rodent damage.”
A second neighbour voiced similar concerns.
“Accidents happen,” he wrote. “Rabbits escape their hutches all the time. We lived in Victoria BC for a number of years near the University of Victoria. The escaped domesticated rabbits caused massive problems for that area.
“They ate gardens and lawns, their burrows undermined foundations and they were almost impossible to stop. Here in our neighborhood, we already contend with deer eating our gardens, raccoons digging up our flower beds, and the more recent threat of marmots in the area. The possibility of rabbits joining this ever-expanding group of pests just doesn’t seem fair to the neighborhood.”
The local SPCA wrote a letter stating the applicants had met all safety requirements, but did voice some concerns about animal safety to the applicant.
Current zoning bylaws to allow for urban agriculture and the cultivation of a portion of a parcel for the production of food, including fruits, vegetables, nuts and herbs for human consumption, but production activities should not be noxious or an unreasonable nuisance to surrounding properties.
The City’s Animal Control Bylaw does allow for up to five rabbits on a property as companion animals, but does not permit the applicant’s stated intention to consume the rabbits that are bred and kept indoors at all times.
The husband and wife spoke briefly before council, detailing their love of animals and why they had applied for the temporary use permit.
“Before we begin, we want to clarify something on the record,” she said. “On April 13th, we received a letter from animal bylaw stating that our four pet rabbits were not compliant. We replied on April 27th asking for clarification on how our four pet rabbits violated the bylaw. We have not received a response.”
Neighbours who have voiced opposition are “falsely claiming” allegations without any evidence, she said.
“We submitted this temporary use permit because we want to add more rabbits, not because our pets are illegal,” she said. “My husband and I are here to request a temporary use permit that would allow us to keep a small number of domestic rabbits in a fully-contained, humane indoor environment.
“For us, this request is not just about food, it’s about how we want to live in this city and the values we believe Penticton stands for.”
She argues that rabbits compare favourably to hens in terms of odour, noise, visibility and space.
“Rabbits are quieter, cleaner and better suited to an urban environment,” she said. “We understand that we live in a residential area and cannot meet agricultural setbacks. Like most residents, our lot is simply not large enough. We cannot afford a property with agricultural zoning, but we still want to live sustainably and responsibly.”
Concerns from neigbours are not justified as the rabbits are kept indoors 24 hours a day, she said.
“They pose no more risk than other outdoor attractants already present in residential areas, including hens, outdoor pets, fruit trees and garbage bins.”
All feed for the rabbits are stored in airtight containers, eliminating concerns about attracting rodents, she said.
“We have never had a rat or mouse issue on our property and again, the rabbits will be indoors at all times.”
Concerns over the butchering of the rabbits relating to school children at a nearby elementary school are also unfounded as no one will be able to see the
rabbits.
“Any processing will be done indoors privately and it is permitted under provincial and municipal laws for personal household consumption,” she said.
“This is not a commercial operation.”
Butcher waste will not be placed in regular garbage bins and will be disposed of properly without risk to anyone, she said.
Her family has worked hard to tackle all concerns presented by SPCA officials and their care of their rabbits exceeds all provincial standards, she said.
“We are committed to transparency, compliance and the highest standard of welfare.”
Processing the animals for personal household consumption is not breaking any laws or bylaws they know of, she said.
Coun. Isaac Gilbert said he understands why the couple wanted the permit.
“We’re all feeling the pinch when it comes to food and food security,” he said.
Allowing this temporary use permit could lead to similar applications all over the city and he couldn’t support that, said Gilbert.
Council voted unanimously to support the staff recommendation and deny the issuance of the temporary use permit.
By Keith Lacey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Original Published on Jun 12, 2026 at 13:30
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