ROCKVILLE, Md. — Just the mention of a possible change to animal control regulations in Rockville prompts Ruth Hanessian to blurt, “I want chickens!”
Hanessian, a bird lover and the president and operator of Animal Exchange in Rockville, has been gathering petitions to bring chickens back to the city since 2010.
Mary Lou Berg, communications manager for Rockville, explains that in 2006 the animal control laws in the city were tweaked to include restrictions on chickens. That meant people with chickens suddenly found themselves on the wrong side of city law.
According to Hanessian, people had to suddenly say goodbye to their backyard hens.
“They literally went door-to-door and evicted the chickens in Rockville,” Hanessian says.
Now there’s a move to let the chickens come home to roost. Councilwoman Julie Palakovich Carr is proposing some changes to the animal control laws. One measure would allow owners of homes on single family lots to keep up to five chickens, but no roosters.
Hanessian explains no one wants to disturb the neighbors. So the slogan “If they lay, they stay. If they crow, they go,” helps make that provision clear.
At a recent council meeting, 12-year-old Sabina Maestle made her case for keeping backyard chickens. With her younger sisters Katja and Bettina helpfully holding up a sign with an illustration of a chicken, Sabina addressed the council.
“Please allow us to keep backyard chickens,” Sabina requested of the council. She said she’s been researching what it would take to care for chickens and that she would build a coop for her hens with her dad. She said the chickens would provide fresh eggs for the family, and the hens would be well-cared for.
“Our chickens would lead a happy chicken life,” Sabina said.
Chickens aren’t the only creatures considered in the proposed update of Rockville’s animal control regulations. The proposed changes would also require that cats and ferrets be licensed.
Palakovich Carr explains the licensing is intended to ensure compliance with laws regarding rabies vaccinations. Montgomery County already requires licensing of cats and ferrets along with dogs.
A town hall on the proposed changes is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Oct. 21 at Rockville City Hall, 111 Maryland Ave.
WTOP’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report. Follow @kateryanWTOP and @WTOP on Twitter.
