Dubai: A Pakistani man living with hens at his Dubai home said he will not chicken out in an alleged row over the birds.
Imran Kazmi said the security for the villa cluster where he lives in The Springs, has asked him to part with the chickens.
But the 40-year-old is convinced there is no rule against keeping pet hens there. "My hens are innocent and quiet - unlike some scary and loud dogs in the neighbourhood," said Kazmi.
‘Peaceful hens'
The management consultant said he has long got rid of two "noisy" roosters, leaving him with four "peaceful" hens - Butter, Cheese, Coco and Vanilla.
They are being kept behind a mesh-wire enclosure in the villa's backyard. Kazmi said some of their feathers have been cut to keep them from flying over.
"My neighbours are nice, I doubt they've complained. I've had chickens since February; two of the hens were born at home. Why's the security objecting now? It's anybody's guess why I've been asked to remove them from the property. I've respect for others and I want to find a middle ground. It's not fair - people have dogs, so why not chickens?"
Kazmi added that his pets are perfectly healthy and safe to have around. "I've got young daughters, I wouldn't put them at risk. I'll be the first one to have the chickens culled if there was ever a threat," he said, adding that he had grown up with chickens - up to 25 at a time - at his Pakistan residence and wanted "a bit of home" when he moved to the Springs here.
"They're such cute little things, they've got feelings and rights like us. I wouldn't dream of eating them or their eggs, about 17 now."
Kazmi also has a pet white rabbit, Snowflake, who "gets along just fine" with the hens.
A spokesperson of Emaar, the developer of Springs, said: "As per established community rules that have also been acknowledged by the Interim Owners Association, poultry or fowl are not allowed as pets in the community."
