The Birds’ Eye View

As parents of four young children, Liz and Kevin Oliver find that everything runs much more smoothly with a little preparation. A bulletin board in their kitchen reminds them of Cub Scout meetings and homework assignments. The family car sits stocked with extra snacks and changes of clothes. So when they decided to add laying hens to their already busy brood, they made sure they did their research on raising chickens. By the time their Eglu and six hens arrived on the doorstep of their Chilmark home, they knew what to expect—hard work, added responsibility, and even those bluish-green eggs that the kids found in the coop. They weren’t surprised when their four kids were excited to help (to the best of their varying abilities—the oldest was only seven years old at the time) collecting eggs, cleaning, feeding, petting, and naming their flock. And even though no one else really understood what made one particular Red Star hen stand out, beak and waddle above the rest, the Oliver family took it in stride when their oldest son, Solon, fell madly in love with a chicken, so much so that he named her after himself: Solon Everett Oliver, the Chicken.

In fact, nothing out of the ordinary happened at all, that is, until a few weeks into their poultry-keeping adventure, a neighbor walked by with an unleashed dog. The chickens were also loose at the time, scratching for bugs in the woods between the house and the road. The dog bounded into their yard—delighted to have such fun new toys to chase. And bite. One emergency vet visit later, Solon Everett Oliver the Chicken was buried under a handmade grave marker, in a shady corner of the Olivers’ yard. The neighbors felt terrible, of course. They apologized, paid the vet bill and sent Solon a lovely card. His parents were left with the more involved task of helping Solon make sense of his loss. But it really didn’t make any sense that a seven-year-old boy would be a more responsible pet owner than his adult neighbors. The family talked a lot about fairness and control and accountability. Then, finally, forgiveness. All important lessons, his mother admits, are ones that can really be learned only by experiencing some level of loss. With the love of his family, Solon recovered. The only physical reminder of the incident being a hand painted and adorably misspelled sign posted on the road near the coop, proclaiming: “All dogs must be leached.”

Joanie Jenkinson, Animal Control officer for the town of West Tisbury, agrees with Solon. She considers herself a very understanding animal control officer, and she doesn’t hand out many tickets. She knows that there is always a reason when a dog gets out: The kids didn’t latch the gate, the repairman left the door open, the electric fence failed. She’s had her own dogs so she knows life can be hectic. But bring up the topic of livestock killing, and Joanie’s temper flares, passionately declaring she has a zero tolerance policy for dogs who commit violent crimes. Owners of offending canines are responsible for compensating livestock owners for vet bills as well as the cost to replace lost animals. Joanie also places a bond upon the dog after the very first offense, and doesn’t hesitate to recommend euthanasia for repeat offenders.

Joanie points out that the leash law applies not only in busy commercial districts or crowded neighborhoods, but everywhere on the Island. Sadly, owners are often with their dogs when attacks happen—well-intentioned owners who just didn’t know that the walking trail they chose happens to abut a farm, or that the Land Bank was leasing this property for agricultural use. They were unaware of their neighbor’s recent foray into chicken-keeping. It never occurred to them that their sweet, slobbery, tail-wagging companion, who loves everyone he meets and is terrified of thunderstorms, would ever harm another animal.

The human-dog relationship is a symbiotic one, of course. Dogs protect us from squirrels and strangers and loneliness and we protect them from rabies and unplanned parenthood and the vacuum cleaner. But, as the creatures capable of higher cognition, we also have to have the awareness to protect them from themselves. There are instincts and temperaments ingrained in their canine nature that no amount of monogrammed dog beds or puppy kindergarten can erase.

Joanie urges dog owners to take responsibility for their pets, not just after something has happened, but by taking steps to prevent such emergencies in the first place. Take the time to know their neighbors and their community, and what areas might be best to avoid for Rover’s off-leash romps.

Supporting local agriculture means more than frequenting farm stands. Farmers need us to show our appreciation by respecting their methods and boundary lines, too. Let’s face it: Rover has simple tastes. He’s happy chasing a tennis ball or a Frisbee, and leaving the free-range chicken dinners for us.