OZZY OSBOURNE 'Ordinance' Prohibits Killing Animals During Theatrical PerformancesAccording to KGET.com, last night's (November 26) visit by Ozzy Osbourne to Bakersfield, California wasn't his first stop in the city, and there's an emergency ordinance still on the books to prove it.
In June, 1982, when the so-called "Prince of Darkness" was at the height of his popularity, his reputation preceded him to Kern County.
At the June 9 City Council meeting, Mayor Mary Kay Shell, "advised the Council a musical rock star scheduled to perform in Bakersfield in June sometimes makes it a practice to bite the head off a bird during or at the conclusion of his performance,'' according to 25-year-old city council minutes still maintained by City Clerk Pamela A. McCarthy.
The mayor stated that according to the City Attorney, "there is currently no law prohibiting this practice, therefore she would like to ask the Council to consider adoption of an Emergency Ordinance prohibiting this action," the minutes say.
The council immediately and unanimously voted an emergency city law prohibiting killing animals during theatrical performances — the Ozzy Osbourne Ordinance, as it was called at the time.
The ordinance says, "No person shall knowingly, nor shall any device, machine or contrivance be used to, maim, injure or kill any animal, including fowl, during any live theatrical or musical performance in the city. (Ord. 2749 § 1 (part), 1982)"
