A vicious rooster has been attacking pedestrians in Jasper.
Mayor Jan Larson said something has to be done.
"He attacks them and scratches," she said. "It would be all right if you were young enough that you could kick him. But some people are older and could fall. We can't let people get hurt because of an errant rooster."
It started a couple of years ago, and Larson thought the town had the situation under control.
But a month or so ago, a new rooster appeared at the same residence. It patrols the sidewalk and street in front of the house, chasing people who walk by.
A woman reported that she fell fleeing the rooster, said Larson. The woman wasn't injured.
Another time, the rooster went after a small boy.
"There have been several complaints about the rooster," said Police Chief Michael Henderson. "We did get a written complaint, but there were no injuries."
Larson described the rooster as "vicious."
"That's the sad part of it, especially if you're a 3-foot-tall person or a doddering lady like me who can't run," she said. "The feedback I'm getting is people want something done."
Larson said chickens and roosters are allowed in Jasper.
"We are a small town," she said. "People have chickens here. That's not a big deal really. But we are also a city. We can't let our animals attack people."
Larson said the City Council discussed the rooster at the past two meetings.
"In August, we will come up with an ordinance to address it," she said.
Larson said the ordinance could require that roosters be fenced in instead of being free-range yard birds.
She said officials will confer with other nearby cities, such as Berryville, about their rooster regulations.
Roosters are banned in Berryville, said Mayor Tim McKinney.
"We don't allow roosters," he said. "Roosters wake people up. Roosters are loud."
McKinney, who has been mayor of Berryville for 29 years, said his City Council passed an ordinance 10 or 15 years ago banning roosters in town.
"We've always allowed fowl," he said. "If somebody wanted to have a couple of chickens that lay eggs and keep it clean, that's fine with us."
Berryville is no stranger to livestock. McKinney said chickens occasionally wander city streets after escaping from the Tyson Foods processing plant. Last week, a bull ran through the Berryville skate park, he said.
"Luckily, it wasn't an aggressive bull," said McKinney.
John Wilkerson, general counsel for the Arkansas Municipal League, said he's heard of vicious-dog ordinances, but never a "vicious-rooster ordinance."
"I've never heard of a rooster attacking anybody, so that's a new one on me," he said.
Sara Orlowski, extension poultry management specialist with the University of Arkansas' Agriculture Division in Fayetteville, said roosters protect their flock of hens, especially in spring and summer, which is mating season. And some breeds are more aggressive than others.
But running away in fright sends a message to the rooster that it's dominant in the pecking order, said Orlowski.
"I guess these residents have tried to run away from him," she said. "In his mind, they're giving in, so he's going to claim dominance over them. The fact that they're running away just makes him want to keep chasing them."
Orlowski, who grew up with chickens and roosters, said she would stand her ground.
"You just kind of try to be bigger than them and not back down," she said. "If you stand up to them, eventually they're going to back down."
Rep. Keith Slape, R-Compton, said he heard about the rogue rooster. His state House district includes Jasper.
Slape, a former Newton County sheriff, said he's not familiar with the rooster in question.
"I've been clawed a few times," he said. "I've got to admit I don't like it. I've been spurred by some mean roosters, but they're usually dumplings by the time I get done with them."
State Desk on 07/25/2019