After battling mental health issues Karen Morris of Fort Myers is facing another battle with Lee County and the Sunshine Mobile Village Residents Association to keep her girls.
Karen was prescribed emotional support chickens by her psychiatrist and told me she doesn’t understand why anyone would want to take her girls away.
“It’s pretty bad to wake up or not enjoy life the way other people do and my girls live in my home with me so why would something that lives in my house be any importance to anybody else,” said Morris.
Karen says it all started when her neighbors started calling code enforcement, later finding out that they had a no chicken law.
“My psychiatrist provided them a letter to acknowledge that A emotional support animal is beneficial to somebody with mental health difficulties,” said Morris.
She said it then escalated to them offering her solutions that did not make sense.
“They offered to trade me my four chickens for four pigs, i can have four pigs but i can’t have four chickens,” said Morris.
Karen has them trained to stay in her home and her yard, and to not bother anyone in the community.
“They do not eat peoples flowers they do not cruise the neighborhood, they live in my home, why people don’t understand that this is my home not theirs i don’t understand,” said Morris.
Now Karen has brought a lawsuit against Lee County in an effort to keep her chickens. she says her girls bring her comfort that simply cant be replaced.
“They bring me something that medication can’t, and of course who wouldn’t rather take a hug from a feathered friend than a medication,” said Morris.
