Chickens

Many posts have discussed therapy animals (which are not quite the same thing as service animals). WOFL in Orlando reports:

An autistic DeBary boy will have to give up his pet chickens, despite his parents' best efforts, after the city council denied the family an extension.

Some council members said there wasn't enough community support to go ahead with allowing chicken permits, but the family says this fight isn't over.

Three-year-old J.J. Hart made national news a year ago when his family said chickens help with his autism.

"A lot of people with autism have self-harming tendencies," says father Joe Hunt. "J.J. used to pull his hair out and throw his head back to the ground. The chickens taught him to be calm."
A doctor recommended the chickens as a way to help with therapy, but a city ordinance banned residents from owning chickens. With huge support form the community and even state lawmakers, the family convinced the council last December to experiment with a 1-year chicken pilot program.

Seven families filed for permits. Now that the year is almost up, the council voted 3 to 2 to cancel the program and prohibit chickens in the city.

FOX 35 News Orlando