Vancouverites squawk over chicken bylaw

The Vancouver Sun
February 28, 2009

A Vancouver woman is petitioning the city to overturn a bylaw that makes it illegal to keep chickens as pets in residential areas.

Heather Jarvey has two chickens - Zilla and Cheeks - that she says are her pets, as she cradles one of them in her arms like a baby.

Jarvey says they are no different from her two dogs. "You get really attached to them" she said. "They're really fun."

The city only permits chickens on properties of at least an acre, which means Jarvey is breaking the law by keeping Zilla and Cheeks. It's why she's working with a number of local agricultural groups to change that law.

Earlier this month, Vancouver's food policy council, an independent body that advises city councillors on food and agricultural issues, voted to formally float the issue of allowing city dwellers to keep chickens in Vancouver...

...The motion is expected to be discussed Tuesday in Vancouver.