Petition to Support Urban Chickens in the Village

*You must be a resident in the VILLAGE of Constantine, Michigan, 18 years or older to sign this petition.

Meet Gheda and Olaf

Gheda and Olaf joined our family in April 2014. We had never had chickens before and were excited with our new pets. Our decision to have two hens initially started as a means to provide organic and healthy eggs for our son who suffers from Lyme Disease. He was diagnosed at the age of 11, was bedridden for almost 4 years and is still challenged with daily pain, migraine headaches and stomach issues. His vegetarian and organic diet has greatly helped his overall health. With eggs being a primary source of protein, we needed to ensure that they were the healthiest eggs we could provide. Our two girls have provided not only eggs, but an emotional support for our son. The therapeutic benefits of interacting with chickens and the peace that comes from watching them in the yard is valuable to our son’s health as well as the fact that Gheda and Olaf are truly family pets. They come when called, come running when we say “treats” and when we are not in the yard with them they sit by the window or door waiting for us to return. We are attached to them as anyone is attached to a pet. They are attached to us and my fear is that they would not survive relocation.

We are new to Constantine. When we purchased our home, in the Village of Constantine, we had no idea we would not be allowed to keep our two chickens. We moved from big city life on the east side of the state and were amazed to find out that this quiet country farm town does not allow chickens. When looking at the history of Constantine, animals and farm living seem to play a major part. There are huge advantages to backyard chickens such as: an affordable, nutritious food source, nitrogen-rich fertilizer, chemical-free pest and weed control and fun loving pets. We are asking for signatures for a petition to show the village council members that other village residents are in support of our desire to CONSIDER changes to a village ordinance that prohibits chickens. Signing this petition will NOT be a vote for a change, only the council members can vote, but we are just asking for our new neighbors to consider allowing the council to research this topic more.