(WBAL) BALTIMORE, Md. — Jackie and Drew Tanenbaum own Wilbur the rooster. They say he is a good egg.
"He's just a really funny rooster. He protects the flock, he flaps his wings, he chirps. Just friendly and fun to be around," said Jackie.
People in this rural area own horses, chickens, roosters and more. But one neighbor has been complaining about Wilbur since the Tanenbaums got him in August.
"Our neighbors came out and said, 'Hey we don't like your rooster, can you get rid of him?'" said Drew. "They did offer an alternative to committing to not replacing him when he dies. We [have] never been given the opportunity to engage in open dialogue."
Drew says the neighbor doesn't like his early morning crowing. So they filed complaints with the county.
"The county has now issued us two citations: one for $150 and a second one for $4,650," said Drew. "It's essentially $150 for every alleged crow that Wilbur makes that our neighbor was able to document."
So Jackie put a petitionon Change.org called "saving Wilbur the rooster." So far more than 5,000 people have signed it.
"I think there's the common belief that chickens and roosters belong in the country. And I think that people really agree with us that there is a lot support in the community to let people live a rural lifestyle and enjoy having your own food come from your backyard," said Jackie.
According to the county, the complainant has to provide proof of excessive noise. Then, the Animal Services Board will decide whether the noise is excessive and upholds or dismisses the case.
We tried to talk to the neighbor but he didn't want to talk to 11 News. The Tanenbaums have a hearing on Jan. 24. For now, Wilbur remains free as a bird.
