Depressed Maine man, 25, who was born without eyes and his heart on the wrong side of his body, wins months-long fight to keep his flock of emotional support chickens
- C-Jay Martin, 25, found companionship and comfort in his animals – but Bangor, Maine does not let residents keep chickens in their backyards
- Much to the happiness of mom Amy and her son, the board of appeals voted unanimously to allow C-Jay to keep his emotional support chickens
A man in Maine, who was born without eyes and his heart on the wrong side of his body, has won a months-long fight to keep his flock of emotional support chickens.
C-Jay Martin, 25, found companionship and comfort in his animals – but the family was faced with a problem because Bangor, Maine, does not let residents keep chickens in their backyards.
The pandemic was particularly tough for Martin, who was isolated and became recluse. His mother Amy was determined to help, and found out through research that support chickens would be a great option.
cwas born completely blind, and a bilateral cleft palate and lip. He is also missing one-third of his brain, half of his right lung, and his heart is on the right side of his chest rather than his left.
C-Jay Martin, 25, found companionship and comfort in his animals – but the family was faced with a problem because Bangor, Maine, does not let residents keep chickens in their backyards
Much to the happiness of mom Amy and her son, the board of appeals voted unanimously to allow C-Jay to keep his emotional support chickens
He has named the pets Stella, Salty, Popcorn, Cheeks, and Pepper, but is still deciding what to call the sixth
C-Jay also has autism, epilepsy and ADHD. His doctor therefore recommended that the family get chickens for the unique combination of his issues.
They bought chickens via a Facebook group called Maine Backyard Chickens in April, and they live in the family’s yard where they’re able to roam around the garden until C-Jay Martin puts them in a coop overnight.
But Amy has had to battle to keep the beloved animals on her property.
Martin’s favorite activity is caring for his six backyard chickens. Snuggling with them and feeding them seeds helps him ease his depression and anxiety, his mom said.
He has named the pets Stella, Salty, Popcorn, Cheeks, and Pepper, but is still deciding what to call the sixth.
Their noisy ‘chicken chatter’ helps the blind man know where they are, and the animals aren’t deterred by his self-stimulating hand flapping.
It also gives Martin a reason to go outside every day, establish a routine, and gives him a purpose when he lets them out in the mornings and puts them to sleep at night, the family say.
Martin’s favorite activity is caring for his six backyard chickens. Snuggling with them and feeding them seeds helps him ease his depression and anxiety, his mom said
Amy Martin fought for her son’s chickens
And all of their neighbors are happy with the pets, with no complaints being made in six months.
His mother told Bangor News Daily: ‘His doctor wanted to be able to go to court and defend her prescription and say “this is the only viable option for him specifically.”
‘It may not work for everyone, but it works for him.
‘Since the chickens came, he’s excited, feels more involved and has more of a purpose.
‘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.’
Amy added: ‘We’re not looking to sell eggs on the weekends or raise meat birds. They’re a therapeutic device for C-Jay.’
The mother was forced to contact city officials in the Department of Housing and Urban Development in February to ask to skirt the rule, and then she had to give another application to the Bangor Board of Appeals.
One of the beloved chickens living in Maine
C-Jay was born completely blind, and a bilateral cleft palate and lip. The man is missing one-third of his brain, half of his right lung, and his heart is on the right side of his chest rather than his left
In April, she then filed a complaint against the city with the Maine Human Rights Commission – and claimed the city was discriminating against her son. They did not find any discrimination – so Amy went again to the Bangor Board of Appeals.
The family were given a hearing on October 5 – and had neighbors and friends come and support.
Imke Jandreau, who lives near the family, told the hearing: ‘How on Earth did we put this family through months of agony and anxiety, wondering if they were going to keep these pets?
‘That’s stressful for C-Jay, it’s stressful for Amy, and I thought it was just unnecessary,’ reports the Washington Post.
Jeff Wallace, the director of code enforcement for the city of Bangor, told the hearing that he had not received any complaints about the chickens in six months.
And much to the happiness of Amy and her son, the board of appeals voted unanimously to allow C-Jay to keep his emotional support chickens.
Two days after the hearing, their chickens laid their first eggs.
Alongside the chickens, the Martin have other pets in the house – one cat, one dog, and four tanks of fish.
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