Woman in Maine gets permission to keep chickens for emotional support for her son

After an arduous battle, various hearings and appeals, A mother from Maine managed to be allowed to have a flock of chickens in her home that, according to the woman’s research, serve as emotional support, whichHe is currently 25 years old and has faced physical and cognitive challenges his entire life.

Amy Martin, the young man’s mother, told The Washington Post in an interview how she managed to get the state to allow her to have chickens in her home, since, in Bangor, Maine, where they live, backyard chickens are not allowed.

After noticing that his son C-Jay was struggling with depression and anxiety, Martin began studying emotional support animals and discovered that chickens, which became popular emotional support animals during the pandemic, can make great therapy pets as they can be calming and bond easily with humans.

During his investigation, Martin went to specialists and his son’s own doctor approved having an animal as an emotional support pet, He stated that chickens would be a good option, so he obtained a prescription to be able to have it in his home, however, it would not be enough, since he would have to face the regulations and policies that govern the city where they reside.

After contacting city officials at the Department of Housing and Urban Development to request an exemption and be allowed to keep chickens in her yard, she received no clear answers and was instructed to submit an application to the Board of Appeals. Bangor.

“I wasn’t looking to file an appeal… We do not buy chickens so we can sell eggs. This is to accommodate a disability, so the process should be differentMartin told The Washington Post.

The mother did not stop and continued searching for information, from what she read on the US Department of Housing and Urban Development website, she thought she could get the chickens and then file an appeal to keep them. Martin talked to his neighbors to see if they would agree and after receiving support, he got six chickens, which he found through a Facebook group called “Maine Backyard Chickens.”

Martin noticed changes in his son immediately he came into contact with the chickens, his mood improved, particularly when he snuggled with them and gave them seeds to eat.

After filing an appeal, at a hearing on October 5, the five-member appeals board voted unanimously to allow the Martins to keep their emotional support chickens.

C-Jay said he is delighted to be able to keep his chickenswhich are all female, since male chickens, which are considered roosters after a year can be noisy.

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