Backyard hen advocates, Ali Savino, Bob Payne, Ed Bruske, Pat Foreman, Dong Kim and Caryn Ernst, met with the Mayor’s Deputy Director for Policy and Legislative Affairs, Jamal Anderson, and his staff Joseph Enten and Ashley Marshall on Wednesday, May 19. The Mayor’s Office was interested in the issue and optimistic about our prospects for working with City Council to update the Animal Control Code, which was originally written in 1887. They agreed to obtain the legal analysis conducted by the Department of Public Health, and to work with Councilmember Catania to identify the necessary legal steps to update the code.
Our team did a terrific job making the case for why updating the Animal Control Code is clearly the right direction for a city that’s interested in:
- food access and security,
- environmental sustainability,
- reducing biomass in the solid waste management streams,
- lowering our carbon footprint,
- increasing urban and school gardening initiatives.
We shared data from other cities that show:
- Cities are saving significant tax dollars by reducing biomass in their waste management streams.
- Cities that allow backyard flocks receive almost no complaints about chickens as a nuisance.
- There hasn’t been a single documented case in the country of backyard hens reducing property values.
- Over 500 cities and towns around the country have updated their local codes in last two years to allow backyard hens.
On a more personal note, we talked about our experiences hatching and raising chickens in classrooms or at home, and the tremendous impact that has had on us, our children, our neighborhoods and the communities with whom we work. Dong Kim shared his experiences working with children from local shelters and the transformation he experienced when they spent time with and cared for their chicks. Pat described her Hen Therapy Program, bringing chickens to old age and nursing homes and allowing residents to cuddle and interact with the chickens. And I described the immediate bond my children experienced with their chicks and how devastated they were when their hens were taken away.
Our team was so persuasive that towards the end of our conversation Mr. Anderson said, “I don’t see why this would be controversial.”
Our next step will be to man tables at Farmer’s Markets around the city the first two weeks in June to share information on keeping backyard hens and collect signatures from supporters. Elementary School children from Capitol Hill will be there with the chicks that they hatched and are caring for over the next month. Not only will they show off their adorable chicks, they will also share the terrific art, science and writing projects they’ve done as part of this experience.
If you are willing to volunteer at a table for a two hour shift please let me know. We will be covering a variety of locations and times and can hopefully find one that works for you.
Thanks!
Caryn Ernst
What is the latest on the city updating its animal code? I’m very excited about the possibility of keeping laying hens. What can I do to help the cause?