“Vancouver City Council votes to allow chickens in yards ” reads the title of a recent news post on urban agricultural notes.  As one of now many municipalities to pass a law in favor of the friendly bird, Vancouver will enjoy the presence of a bit of farm life.  Some of the city’s main concerns, however?  First, taking care of chickens is not the easiest thing; it’s very possible that there will be a mass, casual housing of animals that are not your average Fido.  City representatives are also worried about the chance of having an increase in other wild animals within the area, as chickens are often targets for rats, raccoons, and coyotes.  If there is an illness within the greater population or just one pet at a single home, there still aren’t that many options for their veterinary care.  
I have a feeling, however, that everything is going to be okay.  Having raised three chickens in my own backyard in Los Angeles literally fifteen years ago without any prior knowledge, I can attest to the fact that the care is a challenge but the lifestyle a joy.  Of course, there was the occasional neighbor’s rant at having the roosters cock-a-doodle-doo at 4:00am or the very sporadic opossum attack, but there were fresh eggs to find in the backyard every day and some cool friends whose feathers to stroke.  In my opinion, Vancouver made the right decision.  Let’s see which cities will be next.

-Serena