Worthington
Chickens at center of controversy killed
Hillary, Veronica and Cindi were savagely mauled and killed by two dogs that got into the chicken
coop on Sunday morning.
The hens have been at the center of controversy over the past few weeks as their owners, Andy and Lael Rozmiarek, have asked Worthington City Council to change an ordinance that essentially bans the keeping of chickens in backyards in the city.
Council has not acted on the request, but members were saddened on Monday to hear of the death of the Rozmiareks' pets. The pets have lived in their backyard at 324 E. New England Ave. for more than a year.
"It's a sad state of affairs that this would happen to anyone's pets," council member Bonnie Michael said following Monday's board meeting.
Andy Rozmiarek spoke at the meeting, describing the tragic killing of the "girls," and requesting that council continue to consider changing the ordinance to allow others to keep chickens in their backyards.
He presented a petition signed by 150 residents. It asks that Worthington residents be allowed to keep chickens "in a manner that is clean, quiet and in harmony with the neighborhood."
Harmony does not describe what happened in the Rozmiarek backyard while the family was away visiting friends early Sunday, and returned to find two dogs inside the fenced chicken run, killing the family pets.
Andy believes the dogs did not get into the coop and the attached run by themselves.
The fencing had been cut with a tool and the dogs allowed to go inside to kill the chickens, he said.
"I believe this was done to hurt and frighten me and my family and to frighten the people of Worthington," he said.
While most of the Rozmiarek's neighbors like the chickens and expressed their support for a change in the ordinance at a recent council meeting, one neighbor said that he cannot be expected to keep his dog away from the chickens.
That neighbor's dog attacked the chickens last fall, but none were killed.
It was not that dog that killed the chickens. Those dogs lived on West Lincoln Avenue in Columbus and were running at large in Worthington on Sunday. Both were large dogs, one a Doberman mix, according to police reports.
The owner was issued citations for animals at large and for failure to register an animal by Franklin County Animal Control. The animals were not quarantined.
Worthington police did not find any evidence proving that a person assisted the animals in entering the chicken coop or run, according to police spokesperson Anne Brown.
"Police didn't find physical evidence that anyone cut the fence and let the dogs in," she said.
No footprints were found at the scene, she added.
Last week, the Rozmiareks were cited by Worthington police for violation of the ordinance that prohibits chickens from being kept within 150 feet of a neighbor's house.
Rozmiarek was to appear in Mayor's Court next Wednesday, but court officials are re-examining the charges in light of the deaths of the chickens, Brown said.
Meanwhile, Andy Rozmiarek plans to continue to ask council to change the ordinance so that others may keep chickens in their backyards.
"I urge the people of Worthington not to be intimidated," he said.
City manager Matt Greeson said his office is researching the subject, looking into how other communities regulate chickens.
The hens have been at the center of controversy over the past few weeks as their owners, Andy and Lael Rozmiarek, have asked Worthington City Council to change an ordinance that essentially bans the keeping of chickens in backyards in the city.
Council has not acted on the request, but members were saddened on Monday to hear of the death of the Rozmiareks' pets. The pets have lived in their backyard at 324 E. New England Ave. for more than a year.
"It's a sad state of affairs that this would happen to anyone's pets," council member Bonnie Michael said following Monday's board meeting.
Andy Rozmiarek spoke at the meeting, describing the tragic killing of the "girls," and requesting that council continue to consider changing the ordinance to allow others to keep chickens in their backyards.
He presented a petition signed by 150 residents. It asks that Worthington residents be allowed to keep chickens "in a manner that is clean, quiet and in harmony with the neighborhood."
Harmony does not describe what happened in the Rozmiarek backyard while the family was away visiting friends early Sunday, and returned to find two dogs inside the fenced chicken run, killing the family pets.
Andy believes the dogs did not get into the coop and the attached run by themselves.
The fencing had been cut with a tool and the dogs allowed to go inside to kill the chickens, he said.
"I believe this was done to hurt and frighten me and my family and to frighten the people of Worthington," he said.
While most of the Rozmiarek's neighbors like the chickens and expressed their support for a change in the ordinance at a recent council meeting, one neighbor said that he cannot be expected to keep his dog away from the chickens.
That neighbor's dog attacked the chickens last fall, but none were killed.
It was not that dog that killed the chickens. Those dogs lived on West Lincoln Avenue in Columbus and were running at large in Worthington on Sunday. Both were large dogs, one a Doberman mix, according to police reports.
The owner was issued citations for animals at large and for failure to register an animal by Franklin County Animal Control. The animals were not quarantined.
Worthington police did not find any evidence proving that a person assisted the animals in entering the chicken coop or run, according to police spokesperson Anne Brown.
"Police didn't find physical evidence that anyone cut the fence and let the dogs in," she said.
No footprints were found at the scene, she added.
Last week, the Rozmiareks were cited by Worthington police for violation of the ordinance that prohibits chickens from being kept within 150 feet of a neighbor's house.
Rozmiarek was to appear in Mayor's Court next Wednesday, but court officials are re-examining the charges in light of the deaths of the chickens, Brown said.
Meanwhile, Andy Rozmiarek plans to continue to ask council to change the ordinance so that others may keep chickens in their backyards.
"I urge the people of Worthington not to be intimidated," he said.
City manager Matt Greeson said his office is researching the subject, looking into how other communities regulate chickens.
Comments
