Every night, Seaholme’s Diana Rice pops Jack in a box to muffle his sounds for the neighbours.
And now she is fighting to keep her feathered friend as Hobsons Bay council moves to outlaw roosters under its review of local laws.
Ms Rice addressed councillors last week and told them Jack, a silver-spangled Hamburg, was put in a box in a shed every evening and was let out again at 7.30 next morning.
The council received 18 complaints about crowing roosters last year. But Ms Rice said this represented one complaint for every 1700 households and none were about Jack.
“How does this compare to the number of complaints about issues such as barking dogs, building sites, loud music on Saturday nights?” she asked at the council meeting.
“Complaints about roosters should be substantiated by a log as is required for barking dogs. Both the complainant and owner of the rooster should be given the opportunity to provide evidence to council officers about the timing and frequency of crowing.
“When a complaint about rooster crowing has been substantiated there should be an opportunity for the owner to remediate the situation rather than an ultimatum that the rooster must go.”
Ms Rice said many people liked the sound of a rooster crowing.
The council was expected to vote on the new local laws this month.
