Good morning, fellow animal lovers! Welcome to our last newsletter for September ’23. This week, we’re heading off to Bangor, Maine, where the Martin family has contacted the Bangor Board of Appeals to help retain their son’s Emotional Support Animals.
The Martin Family Hopes To Win Permission From Bangor’s Board Of Appeals For Son’s ESAs
C-Jay Martin was born blind with a bilateral cleft palate and lip, missing half of his right lung and one-third of his brain. His heart is on the right side of his chest instead of the left. Amy Martin, C-Jay’s mother, states doctors thought her son would live no longer than two years.
However, C-Jay went on to beat the odds and is a 25-year-old now. Still, it hasn’t been an easy journey for him, and he’s also been diagnosed with epilepsy, ADHD, and autism. One of the main things that brings him joy more than anything else is caring for his six backyard chickens, his Emotional Support Animals.
Unfortunately, C-Jay’s well-earned peace may be at risk due to a city ordinance that prohibits the family from keeping chickens due to where they live. Earlier, the family could not informally get permission to keep the Emotional Support Chickens, which led to them filing a discrimination complaint against the city with the Maine Human Rights Commission.
Next month, the Bangor Board of Appeals will consider the Martin family’s formal request to keep their son’s ESAs despite the city ordinance.
Amy says the process of getting informal permission from the city didn’t make much sense to her. She said, “The application the city wanted me to fill out had nothing to do with requesting reasonable accommodation for a service animal, but they insisted that’s what I needed to do.”
Martin contacted the city in February seeking an informal reasonable accommodation for ESAs under the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Fair Housing Act. She explained that C-Jay grew depressed, anxious, and isolated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
That’s when her son’s medication specialist recommended the family get chickens after Martin researched reasons why chickens would be a good comfort animal for her son, as he could care for them and enjoy spending time with them with his specific combination of conditions.
Chickens are calm and easy to care for overall, allowing C-Jay to manage his ESAs without their caretaking becoming overwhelming. Moreover, ‘chicken chatter’ sounds help him know where the chickens are.
Amy says C-Jay has been much better and ‘more involved’ since his chicken came to live with them. “He’s much happier and goes outside more because he’s coming out in the morning to let them out and puts them to bed at night,” she stated.
Initially, Martin believed she could keep chickens as ‘assistance animals’ based on the information she discovered on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development website. Later, she found the city expected residents to gain permission via the city’s appeals board. Martin also clarified that she’s talked to all her neighbors about the situation, and they’re okay with it.
Bangor’s code enforcement director, Jeff Wallace, has stated the city was unaware of the chickens at Martin’s address as of Sept. 20 and that they haven’t received any complaints yet. Martin has completed the appeal application and is awaiting the Board of Appeals’ decision on whether the family can keep C-Jay’s ESAs. The meeting is set for Oct. 5.
Source: BangorDailyNews
CertaPet’s Thoughts on This Week’s News
We hope it’s all smooth sailing for the Martin family and C-Jay’s Emotional Support Chickens come Oct. 5. Their case differs in that the city has received no complaints about their chickens, perhaps because of C-Jay’s unique story.
It’s important to note that here at CertaPet we do not certify anything but cats and dogs and the occasional rabbit. We understand that other animals may have therapeutic value and we do not discredit that at all, but it is our policy to only recognize dogs, cats, and rabbits due to zoning restrictions, health concerns and regulations, and public safety.
If you’re living with a mental illness, getting an emotional support animal could really help your recovery. These loving animals could ease your symptoms and help you live a happier, fuller life. If you’re ready to start the process, take our 5-minute pre-screening test for free. We’ll connect you with a licensed mental health professional, who will have a consultation with you. Then, if you qualify, you’ll get your ESA letter in no time.