Our daughter, Sarah Downing, age 15, suffers from depression/anxiety/panic disorder and our chickens are her MEDICALLY PRESCRIBED Therapy Animals/Emotional Support Animals (ESAs). This is a Federally protected right under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)



Her Therapist and Care Team have Documented and Deemed that Sarah REQUIRES her chickens as part of her therapy. Caring for her chickens and having them as ESAs is an integral and positive part of her ongoing, daily life.



Removing them from our home and property will have a VERY NEGATIVE AND UNHEALTHY EFFECT on her.

Since having them, Sarah has excelled in Marching Band, reduced absence from school, copes better with stress and daily happenings. She also is an HEP/Gifted student and has made Excellent Honor Roll.

Since being faced with losing her ESAs... her grades have begun to slip, her motivation is lacking, she wants to sleep to escape the stress, and is sad and depressed.

Interacting with her feathered "siblings" are high points of her day.

**Each have specific personalities and mannerisms for certain situations. **

When she is having depression bouts or increased anxiety/stress, Sarah relies on them for a "boost" in the a.m. Watching their antics as they beg for treats and run to her across the yard or to the front of their pen ) at first sight. This act is amazingly uplifting.

Negative experience at any moment, on any given day, can trigger a panic/anxiety attack. At times, she might require a small video or picture to be sent to her for support.

Particularly difficult situations (death or illness of friend or family) require one of the ESAs to accompany us in our vehicle for emotional support. The illness and death recently of a family friend and her paternal grandmother are examples. Her Therapist has this documented in her records.

After school, they can become a nap companion on a particularly bad day as she regroups.

As the day comes to a close, she turns to her special bantam hen, Onyx or Marshmallow, her Silkie Rooster, for comfort as she finishes homework and obligations. This helps her to remain focused on her task at hand. These are just a few ways Sarah benefits from her ESA chickens.

Sarah also benefits from their organic, fresh eggs, which are a staple protein source in her diet. Store bought eggs will cause illness due to Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

We have been raising our chickens for close to 4 years.

Sarah also enjoys teaching about the chickens, sharing the eggs, and hatching the next generation and following the development.

She is fascinated by Biology and Science. She aspires possibly be a Veterinarian or enter into Nursing.

Hempfield Twp has cited us as violating Zoning and has ordered us to remove our chickens immediately or be fined daily and possibly be taken to court.



We strongly feel, based on the Medical Diagnoses and Documented needs validated by her Licensed Medical Therapist, which are outlined under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, our daughter has a valid, legal Right to keep her Emotional Support Animals (ESAs)(chickens) on our property and/or within our home, with reasonable accommodation. We, therefore, must formally pursue a Variance based on Special Circumstances to the Zoning Board of Hempfield Twp, Westmoreland County, State of Pennsylvania. We have hired an Attorney and will be going to Formal Hearing in the next couple of months. Getting this Variance is not an easy thing to do.