'Emotional support rooster' ruffling feathers in Jacksonville neighborhood

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A rooster is ruffling feathers in an East Arlington neighborhood.

Neighbors say it’s illegal and waking them up early with its crowing, but the owner claims it's his emotional support animal.

Roosters can be loud. They can also be aggressive.

People who live near the intersection of Abe Court and Running River Road have had enough.

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“It’s getting ridiculous at this point,” Freddy Peugnet said.

Peugnet is one of the voices complaining about the rooster in his neighbor's backyard.

“Frankly, we’re getting very tired. I mean, I’m exhausted right now. My wife’s at work, she calls me, she’s tired every day. At 3 a.m., we’re woken up by a rooster,” Peugnet said.

Peugnet said he has called animal control. He also tried to get Mayor Lenny Curry’s attention on Twitter.

But no one could seem to help.

Neighbors say they don’t need an alarm clock anymore because the rooster in their neighborhood crows all day long.

“It’ll go for like 20 seconds or 30 seconds. Then it will stop, and then it’ll go right back. What’s strange is the rooster is in the backyard, and if this is his emotional support animal, why isn’t it indoors providing emotional support?” Peugnet said.

So we went to the home where neighbors say the rooster is being kept.

The owner came outside to talk to us after we knocked on his door.

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“He’s a wild one,” the owner said.

The owner told Action News Jax he picked up an Asian Hawaiian rooster off the street for emotional support and that’s what he told the city when they came by.

“It was just a joke,” Peugnet said.

A city planning spokesperson said it is illegal to keep roosters within city limits.

The owner told Action News Jax all the crowing about the rooster became too much, so he let the rooster go Friday morning.

“I love animals. That’s why I let him stay around here, but if people are going to complain, I don’t need him. I don’t need the trouble," the owner said.

So, tomorrow, neighbors just might get through the night undisturbed.

Cox Media Group