Adorable three-year-old autistic boy may be forced to give up 'therapeutic' pet chickens because the town thinks they 'don't belong'

J.J. Hart's chickens have been therapeutic for him and helped him to find laughter



The city council of Debary, Florida made a decision that will either force J.J.'s family to give up the chickens or to move to a new town



'It could be devastating to him' to lose the chickens, pediatrician Dr. Emily Forrest said



An adorable and vivacious autistic 3-year-old from DeBary, Florida may be torn away from his therapeutic pet chickens who've helped him smile and learn to communicate.



The Orlando Sentinel reports that the city council made a decision on Wednesday to end the one year trial program on Dec.31 granting residents the right to own backyard coops.



J.J. Hart's family learned of the council's heart-wrenching decision and are willing to do anything they can to help their son, diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, keep the chickens that 'helped him find his voice.'

'100 percent win': The family's attorney Mark Nation claims the city council decided to vote on the exception for J.J. after he threatened to take his case to federal court under the Federal Fair Housing Act, Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act

Two years ago when the Hart family discovered their child had autism, J.J. gazed at the world with a blank stare. He seldom spoke or laughed and would throw temper tantrums.



Today, J.J.s jovial nature is a far cry from the J.J. his parents once knew.



They attribute J.J.s positive changes to the pet chickens which J.J. calls 'ducks'.



'He's now doing amazing,' said his mother, Ashleigh Hart.

'He's now going to a new preschool, and he's able to communicate much better. And it all has to do with the chickens. He plays with them. He cuddles with them. And he runs around the yard with them. … It's made a tremendous difference.'



What happens if they take away his chickens? J.J.s father Joe Hart is not going to let that happen.

Giving up the chickens is 'not an option,' said Joe to The Daily News.



The Hart family hired Longwood attorney Mark Nation to reverse the council's decision.

They're like family: J.J.'s chickens have helped him to smile, speak and to stop throwing tantrums. The family first tried helping J.J. with a dog, but he wasn't interested

Several Central Florida government are allowing residents to have backyard coops. Residents may gather fresh eggs and keep the chickens as pets.



For J.J., the chickens are more like family.



Nick Koval, a DeBary council member defends his decision to disallow chicken coops. He thinks chickens 'don't belong' in residential homes or communities.



'It's unfortunate, and I sympathize,' Koval said.



'But we spend a lot of time and money establishing codes and ordinances for the protection of the citizens and taxpayers of this community. And I believe that they [chickens] belong in agricultural areas.'

Happy day! 3-year-old autistic Florida boy J.J. Hart will likely get to keep his beloved therapy chickens after all. The city council in Debary will vote on a special exception to the town's no coop rule just for J.J.

In December of 2012, DeBary enacted a one-year test run allowing families in residential areas to keep three chickens.



The program was created after the Hart family, who purchased chickens after researching the positive affect of animals on autism, asked for permission to keep their chickens.



keeping a coop is no easy task. Residents wishing to maintain chickens must obtain a city permit.



It also costs between $500 and $800 per year to keep a coop with proper fencing.



The DeBary council's decision to discontinue residential coops will affect the only two loving homes in the community who decided to care for chickens.



One application for a backyard coop was from the Hart's and another was from a woman who wanted to use the chickens for eggs.

'We're very happy': Members of the council plan to vote December 18 to accommodate the Hart family's chickens, but Ashleigh (left) and Joe (right) Hart believe they've already won a victory

The Orlando Sentinel spoke with Dr. Emily Forrest, a developmental behavioral pediatrician for Florida Hospital for Children. She specializes in autism and noted the benefits of keeping animals.



Even though dogs and horses are more commonly used for autism therapy, she didn't discredit chickens.The Daily News reported that the family thought of getting the boy a dog, but it was unappealing to him.



'It could be devastating to him" to lose the chickens, Forrest said.



Forrest spoke about how change can drastically alter an autistic person's life--especially a young child.



'In this case, this boy has made a connection with these chickens, and it's helped him out,'Forrest said.



'I think chickens are unconventional, but if a child has made progress, then it's really sad for him that he has to stop because of a city ordinance.'



Even the town's mayor, Bob Garcia, is on J.J's side.



'It had so many benefits for this child,' Garcia said. 'And it would have shown that we're a community that is compassionate and understanding.'

