As an animal rescuer, my friend Eileen and I are baffled by the Riverhead Town’s new proposed ban.

I have seen firsthand the impact of township bans on roosters across Long Island. These bans lead to roosters being abandoned, leaving flocks without their natural leaders and these animals end up starving to death or becoming prey. More over the town wants to limit the size of the flock and the coops. And they want to require that all hen house are cleaned once a day. If the town can barely manage their own issues and what they are supposed to regulate how do they propose to regulate hundreds of homes and back yard hen houses and farms. This is a heartbreaking situation that we must prevent from happening in Riverhead, where farming and chicken and hen families have played a crucial role in our community for decades. Riverhead is a farming community and rural community. 

Roosters play a crucial role in managing and protecting their flock. They are not just crowing alarm clocks; they are also vigilant protectors against predators and help maintain peace within the flock. Banning them would disrupt this natural balance and could lead to more problems than it solves.

Moreover, it's important to note that noise complaints - often cited as a reason for such bans - can be managed through responsible ownership practices - but it would appear that this ban is more of a distraction from more pressing issues in town, such as the growing homeless population.

It's clear that banning roosters isn't the solution to any issues residents may have with them. Instead, we should focus on educating our community about responsible pet ownership and creating communications that support this.

Let's work together to ensure our rural town remains a place where all creatures can live harmoniously. Please sign this petition urging Riverhead officials not to ban roosters.