Beverly Hills Chicken Debate – Are Chickens Pets?
They’re not joking (yolking?) about this in the fine Village of Beverly Hills (in Oakland County) – there’s a chicken debate raging (clucking?) and it’s all about having chickens as pets.
Are Chickens Pets?
Here are the details (with plenty of chicken puns):
Are chickens pets or just fowl? (that’s one pun). A couple in the lovely Village of Beverly Hills received an ordinance violation for owning chickens as pets, even though they’ve had the animals on their property for at least three years now. This has ruffled some feathers (two) in the community.
Damon and Racheal Hrydziuszko are set to appear in court for the citation on Sept. 5, but are also trying to clarify the village’s ordinance regarding pet ownership – and whether or not it includes chickens. They have a meeting with the Zoning Board of Appeals on Sept. 9. It’s a real coop d’état! (three)
The Hrydziuszkos’ chickens even have names. One is named Taylor after Taylor Swift “because she’s the center of attention,” Damon said, adding that “chickens are pets.” If they get three chickens they’d have a 3 piece dinner (four puns)…I’ll stop.
Chickens As Pets – What Do You Think?
So…what do you think? Here’s a little more background on the story from our friends at Fox 2:
In 2018, a group started a petition to allow keeping chickens, especially hens, on Beverly Hills property. It received 420 supporters.
“Small backyard flocks will help residents live more sustainable lifestyles, reduce food and yard waste output, control insect pests, build topsoil and provide a superior local source of eggs and meat,” according to the Change.org petition.
But nothing changed.
Then, in 2021, residents in the village started putting up anti-chicken signs when the Beverly Hills Village Council began considering the approval of chicken coops on private property.
Nothing came out of that either.
