Fed-up neighbor calls police on woman's clucking 'emotional support chickens': 'The constant racket is driving me crazy'

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Dec 5, 2024 11:00 AM EST

Pets can be incredibly helpful to one's mental health. They don't stop needing to be taken care of, even if you're feeling down. They get you out of bed, into a semblance of a routine, and help you become a person. Their love for you can also provide great emotional relief, and you can rest easy knowing there's unconditional love coming from someone in your house. Not to mention the practical aspects of having a pet. They can give you community-- reasons to talk to people on the street and common ground with lots of different kinds of folks. 

So it's no wonder that we get emotionally attached to our pets. But what happens when that pet is a nuisance to someone else's life? Where does your responsibility lie? That's what happened in this story when one woman's unconventional choice of pet landed her in some hot water with a neighbor. Read on for the story. 

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    Cheezburger Image 10436718080
    via Unsplash+ (Hans Isaacson)

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story

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    AITA for calling the cops on my neighbor's loud "therapy chickens?"
    via u/MuttDevil69
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    My neighbor (40'sF) recently got 4 chickens. She claims they're "emotional support animals" to help with her anxiety, but they're incredibly loud. They cluck and squawk constantly, starting before dawn and going all day. I've tried talking to her about it politely, but she insists they're vital for her mental health and refuses
    via u/MuttDevil69
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    to do anything about the noise. I work from home and the constant racket is driving me crazy. I can't concentrate, I'm getting headaches, and I'm starting to feel really resentful. I finally snapped and called the non-emergency police line to report a noise violation. Now my neighbor is furious, calling me heartless and ableist.
    via u/MuttDevil69
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    AITA for calling the cops, even though it was disrupting my life and I had tried. to resolve it peacefully?
    via u/MuttDevil69
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    UPDATE: I spent some time looking into it, there does appear to be a city ordinance that says you cannot have a coop within 300 ft of a residential building. which this definitely is. I will be calling code enforcement tomorrow and then I can finally have my emotional support nap.
    via u/MuttDevil69
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    Slam_father • 15h ago. . Why would 4 loud and obnoxious chicken be your choice for emotional support animals for your anxiety? Chickens would make my anxiety 10 times worse lol.
    via u/Slam_father
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    loyalcrowlist .15h ago. to be fair, i have a small flock of chickens and they're so sweet and comforting. my oldest kid holds her during anxiety attacks. but not all chickens are the same. if they're that noisy either the neighbor didn't select appropriate breeds for being in the city, hasn't handled them enough, or they don't have the proper amount of space.
    via u/loyalcrowlist
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    SuperPookypower . 15h ago • This "support animal" misuse needs to stop. Stop equating a seeing eye dog with an emotional support gecko. We all know it's being abused and it's causing problems for people with a legit need. Knock it off already.
    via u/SuperPookypower
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    ririririrlr 15h ago • • Entirely depends on the law. If you're living where that's legal to house chickens ... you've described normal, legal behavior.
    via u/ririririrlr
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    Tigg... • • 14h ago Edited 14h ago • As someone with chickens, I call BS on this. Chickens don't yell all day long, they just don't. Not even roosters. Not even Guinea Fowl (who aren't chickens, but are known for being loud). If you did, then YTA for exaggerating. (unless they are all roosters, I actually have a neighbor who harassed another neighbor by setting up a coop on the property line of about 10 roosters)
    via u/Tigger7894
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    Spoonbills 15h ago • • > the constant racket is driving me crazy. I can't concentrate, I'm getting headaches This seems like an overreaction to me.
    via u/Spoonbills
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    Clean-Experience-639 14h ago • • Maybe YTA. I've had plenty of chickens, and I don't recall the hens doing anything but cooing and clucking. They're actually very peaceful and sweet in my experience. The roosters were loud and obnoxious for the most part. If there's no ordinance against it, you might have to learn to live with it. Maybe go over and feed them or ask if you can help collect eggs. Cops make everything worse.
    via u/Clean-Experience-639
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    CasaCordings • 15h ago NTA, unless you live in the country on a farm. If you live in a city, then there's no reason for chickens to be close enough to your house to annoy you through your own walls. Also, check your city ordinances. My city has one that says a coop cannot be within 80 feet of another house unless they have written consent from the owner of that house.
    via u/CasaCordings
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    tinyahjumma 14h ago • I'm honestly surprised that the chickens are loud except for perhaps a small portion of the morning. Perhaps there is something bothering them that you could help her investigate. To be clear, you are NTA for wanting peace and quiet.
    via u/tinyahjumma
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    Saikune 14h ago. • Yta. I've had way more than 4 chickens and without roosters their noises are honestly pretty soothing!
    via u/Saikune
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    Blue... 15h ago Edited 15h ago · NTA, I often think it is ironic how some people dub their animals as "emotional support" as a function and an excuse whenever their out of hand hobbies disrupt other people's lives.
    via u/Blue_Waffled
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    I have a neighbour whose excuse for DJing in his living room had also been up that street: "it helps me deal with life" he said and meanwhile I had to suffer for it. A lot of noise complaints and recordings sent to the landlord later, he was given strict regulations because it was deemed too noisy and disruptive.
    via u/Blue_Waffled
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    That said, I am not sure what the cops will be able to do about this, you can complain of the noise, you should def start recording moments where the noise is too much out of hand, but the cops. might just say she's allowed to keep animals making this more of a civil case.
    via u/Blue_Waffled
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    If she rents the place she's living at then you could send her landlord some of the recordings and a complaint to do something about this. Also check in with the local municipality of your town, to check if this is even allowed.
    via u/Blue_Waffled
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    Fun_Implement471 • 13h ago • It's chickens. Get fkin earplugs.
    via u/Fun_Implement471
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    Cangal39 • 13h ago • Cops is taking it a bit too far. The "emotional support animal" thing. is irrelevant in this situation. It comes down to whether it's legal for her to keep poultry or not, and that depends on local bylaws, health ordinances, HOA rules etc. Contact your city's bylaw enforcement.
    via u/Cangal39
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    Ireland1169 • 15h ago. YTA Hens are housed outside in a Henhouse, they generally do not make loud noises & are quite docile, (they can be quite affectionate) if there is a cock they do tend to be loud especially morning & night & can be aggressive (my great aunt had a guard cock guarding the orchard, he was vicious). Lots of people keep hens in urban gardens & they don't upset the neighbours.
    via u/Ireland1169

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