Let the rooster crow in peace

Dear editor:

I am writing about a story that appeared in the Boise News paper on Feb. 25, page A4, titled "Is rooster a pet or pest?

The story takes place here in Mountain Home and is about Maria Lang, an 88-year-old widow that has a rooster as a companion and therapy animal.

The story went on to explain how her neighbor living next to her was complaining that the crowing of the rooster was bothering his wife with sleep apnea.

It seems that Ms. Lang has had to appear in court over this and pay a fine even though she has owned the rooster since spring of '08, well before the city passed its poultry and livestock ordinance in November '09.

I can't seem to make a connection between the neighbor's sleep apnea and a rooster crowing once an a while. A friend of mine, living in Omaha, Neb., has chickens and at one time as many as five roosters.

Though she was there first, a modern suburb has moved in and now borders on two sides of her property.

As a courtesy to her neighbors, she keeps her chickens in the hen house until 9 a.m. well after the sun is up, and puts them to bed at 6 p.m. or earlier in the winter months. Her neighbors enjoy fresh eggs and have no problem.

What possible good can come from removing this rooster that crows each morning to announce that another beautiful day has risen here in Mountain Home? This rooster also serves as the best burglar alarm money can buy, and I have no doubt that he'd wake his owner in case of fire.

These neighbors should be so lucky to have the rooster next door. Perhaps they should spend a year with screaming little kids next door, or have the pleasure of a house with a bunch of partygoers and dopeheads racing up and down the street at all hours, then they would appreciate the sound of a chicken crowing.

Those neighbors should be ashamed of themselves for bringing such stress to this 88-year-old resident who pays her taxes and does no harm to anyone and is a law abiding citizen whose simple joy in life is having her rooster, Pluto.

The only way to describe this whole thing is mean spirited.

Monica Gray