(WSVN) - Your neighbor has pigs in his yard. Another is overrun with chickens. Is it legal to have farm animals in the neighborhood? Let’s find out. It’s tonight’s Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser.
Chickens in the backyard. Pigs in the next yard. Welcome to the neighborhood.
Sumintra Ahyee: “I wouldn’t got there. I think the smell is horrible.”
Adele Marquez: And at five in the morning, 5:30 in the morning, the rooster starts singing or whatever they do.”
Lets start with Adele in Miami where she lives in a beautiful house her father left her.
Adele Marquez: “I’m very proud of my home and I like taking care of it.”
She likes her property. About 15 chickens love it..
Adele Marquez: “I have tried to catch them and then I’m outside with a broom, shushing them away. But they come back. They do not leave me.”
They wont leave her yard, but they do leave chicken manure everywhere.
Adele Marquez: “So, I, in the morning, I’m washing everything down outside the garage.”
Every day, the brood of chicks is scratching, pecking and pooping, and creating baby chicks, which Adele would never hurt.
Adele Marquez: “I’m very sensitive to them. I want somebody to pick them up and take them someplace.”
Adele has tried everything. Called everybody and laid an egg trying to get them removed.
Adele Marquez: “What can I do? And all of a sudden it it just hit me. I said, ‘Help Me Howard.'”
Before we step in, Adele, lets head down to Sumintra’s South-Dade neighborhood, where she loves to garden and relax in her backyard.
Sumintra Ahyee: “I like to be outside. I like to plant stuff. I enjoy that immensely.”
Then, her neighbor got two pigs. The smell of pig manure forced Sumintra and her husband inside, where the poop odor followed.
Sumintra Ahyee: “He says he smells it, even when inside. It’s all in his nostrils and I am beginning to do the same thing, too.”
Well, Howard, are pigs and chickens legal in cities and neighborhoods?
Howard Finkelstein, 7News legal expert: “It’s actually a little complicated. It depends on the city and the animal. Some allow pet pigs. Some don’t allow them. Some let you have domesticated chickens, but when it comes to feral chickens, the government has nothing to do with them. They are wild, and if you want to get rid of them, you have to pay to remove the chickens.”
We contacted Miami-Dade County. Since the pigs were in a residential area, the owner was told to move the porkers. He did and it cleared the air.
Sumintra Ahyee: “I’m just happy to see you guys. I can enjoy my outside.”
The chickens were tougher. Since the City of Miami doesn’t remove them and Adele couldn’t afford to pay trappers, we spoke to Derek Perez from Dade Animal Removal who agreed to do it for free.
Derek Perez: “I like to already help people as it is, but to help your segment, to be able to contribute to that, it’s actually, it’s an honor.”
Derek traps everything from iguanas to possums. The chickens were clever. It took several days to catch them all.
Derek Perez: “We’ve brought plenty of feed, plenty of goodies for them, and it’s like fishing. We hope for the best.”
We were all concerned about the hen and her chicks. Derek caught them and kept them together.
Derek Perez: “And we can’t just release them anywhere. So we need private properties that’ll accept them.”
The chicks and their mother were released on a farm, along with all the other fowl, thanks to Derek.
Derek Perez: “Once they’re there and they know they’re being fed, they will stay there.”
The chickens are safe. Derek is satisfied.
Adele Marquez: “He’s just been really great with what he’s done.”
Leaving Adele to crow about all the help she got.
Adele Marquez: “I’m very happy. I’m thanking Channel Seven, Help me Howard, his whole staff. And now I can fix up my yard again.”
Did you see those big bird watching the arrival of the chickens? You don’t see that every day.
Now, if you have wild animals and you want them removed humanely, Derek says give him a call.
A problem come home to roost? Your mother hen instincts not working out? Let us egg you on to give you a solution to crow about.
With this Help Me Howard, I’m Patrick Fraser, 7News.
CONTACT HELP ME HOWARD:
Email: helpmehoward@wsvn.com
Reporter: Patrick Fraser at pfraser@wsvn.com
Miami-Dade: 305-953-WSVN
Broward: 954-761-WSVN
More Information:
Dade Animal Removal Services
Derrick Perez
305-558-6500
Copyright 2026 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.