Regina resident Amy Snider is on a mission to promote urban farming and the joys of keeping chickens as pets. Despite city bylaws prohibiting chickens, Snider’s feathered friends, named Martha, Julia, Scrambled, and Omelette, stay with her legally as emotional support animals, prescribed by her doctor.
Snider, who initially rented the hens during the COVID-19 pandemic as a therapeutic measure for her depression and anxiety, is now a vocal supporter of poultry as companions. She has founded “Queen City Chickens” and is leading an initiative to introduce a Backyard Hen Pilot in Regina.
The proposed pilot project aims to permit up to 20 residents to keep three to six hens in backyard coops. Set to launch this summer for a two-year period, the initiative seeks to explore the benefits of urban farming and its potential impact on fostering animal husbandry within the city.
