During my daughter's high school years, we had the delight of caring for a small group of backyard hens at home. The joy, companionship and bounty of eggs they provided played a profound role in our household, even bringing comfort and happiness to my aging father until he passed away. We eagerly shared the eggs with grateful neighbors, which created community connections. 

There's a growing body of research suggesting the benefits of keeping a few hens per household. In fact, studies indicate that such a practice can have impacts not only on individuals' physical health through providing fresh, organic eggs, but also on their mental health, contributing to stress reduction and overall wellbeing.

However, our current city regulation does not allow keeping chickens, forcing us to give up the hens we had so dearly taken care of. This seems counterintuitive, considering the undeniable health and therapeutic benefits they carry and the potential for fostering neighborhood camaraderie.

We ask city officials to reconsider their position. A relaxing of the city regulations regarding domestic chicken keeping would greatly benefit our city, paving the way for healthier, happier citizens and promoting a stronger sense of community.

Let us work together to make our city more inclusive to the backyard chicken keepers. It's time we recognized the importance of such seemingly small actions in shaping the health and happiness of our communities.

Please sign this petition to legalize backyard chicken keeping in our city now.