Michigan woman fights for due process to keep chickens

Douglas, MI; May 28, 2025: Kathy Sarkisian is fighting to keep her beloved chickens after City officials ordered her to remove them — not due to health or zoning concerns, but because a seasonal neighbor objected. Although she has a permit from the City of the Village of Douglas, City officials say she can longer keep the chickens after her part-time neighbor’s complaint.  

Douglas, like many other municipalities, requires a permit to raise chickens. But, unlike anywhere else, a City ordinance gives neighbors complete power to veto chicken permits: If even one neighbor objects — for any reason — the permit “shall not be granted, with no right of appeal.” 

“Like all property owners, Kathy has the right to use her property to fulfill her American Dream. The government can’t let neighbors control what you can and cannot do on your own land,” said Wesley Hottot, attorney at Pacific Legal Foundation. “Nor can the government infringe on that right without giving property owners due process.” 

Kathy applied for her chicken permit in May 2023 and was approved in June of that year to keep six hens — fully complying with all local regulations. But when a seasonal neighbor complained after the permit had been issued, the City ordered her to remove the chickens. The City has since sued Kathy in state court for keeping chickens without a permit — an offense punishable by fines of up to $300 per day.  

Now, represented at no charge by Pacific Legal Foundation, Kathy is fighting back in federal court to challenge the ordinance that illegally and unconstitutionally gives private citizens total control over how others use their land. 

The case is Kathy Sarkisian v. City of the Village of Douglas, Michigan.