Chicken therapy? Naperville couple's neighbors balking over nonprofit

"Welcome to the Farm."

Those etched words greet visitors as they walk under the pergola leading to Rick and Wendy Montalbano's Naperville backyard.

Past the firepit and flowers, and on one side of the mulched path opposite the house, stands a haven for therapy chickens.

Yes, therapy chickens.

The Montalbanos started the Touch My Heart nonprofit organization in 2010 to assist adults with special needs. In the last few years, they've expanded the mission by opening their backyard to visitors wanting to hold and pet the trained chickens in a safe and welcoming environment.

As it turns out, similar to dogs and horses, chickens can become therapy animals.

"These chickens aren't ours; they belong to the community we serve," Wendy Montalbano said. "Each of the chickens has a fan club."

The birds' fan base, however, does not include neighbors. The chickens and their visitors have become a point of contention between the Montalbanos and those living nearby who have complained to the city about the noise and smell.

The situation has progressed to the point where Naperville's city council will decide Tuesday if the Montalbanos can keep all their chickens in their present state.

"When I say we were blindsided," Wendy Montalbano said, "we literally had no idea there was any anger about this."

'My passion'

Long before they created Touch My Heart, the Montalbanos served adults with special needs through social events and by collecting and delivering donated food.

During the pandemic lockdowns in 2020, they decided to buy chickens. Wendy researched farms in Australia and Europe, where therapy chickens were being used to help people.

Wendy worked to become one of the few people in the country able to transform chickens into therapy animals. The backyard soon turned into the nation's first therapy chicken farm.

"It's become my work and my passion," she said.

Touch My Heart welcomed its first visitors in May 2021. The concept quickly caught on among groups focused on helping adults with special needs.

"The most important thing is, this underserved population gets to experience these things," Brandon Quaintance, founder of the Awesome Life Academy nonprofit group, told Naperville's planning and zoning commissioners at a recent meeting.

"Holding a chicken, petting a chicken, it's just not something people get to do every day. It's a huge experience for them."

A row of chicken coops, tall enough for humans to stand in, fills much of the Montalbanos' backyard. The 16 chickens - eight more than city code allows - don't roam free but remain in the coops or contained netted areas.

The backyard is flat with wide paths, making it accessible to those in wheelchairs. Volunteers help Rick and Wendy keep the coops clean, but Touch My Heart remains a full-time job for the couple.

"We've put our lives on hold for the last three years," Rick said.

'Huge impact'

The first complaint about the chickens was filed in October 2021.

The city cited the Montalbanos for permit violations, resulting in a court appearance and, eventually, the couple's appearance in front of the planning and zoning commission to request code variances.

In addition to setback relief for the location of their coops, they asked for permission to keep more than the allowed eight chickens.

"Look at the population we serve," Wendy Montalbano said.

"If there's bad smells, if there's loud noises, if there's chaos, they wouldn't be coming here."

Barb Buzzelli, a neighbor of the Montalbanos, spoke at the July 19 planning and zoning meeting to ask the variances be denied.

"We as neighbors have really put up with this over these years," she said. "It's continuously hearing the noise of the chickens, the people that constantly come through the backyard."

The commissioners recommended a series of compromises to the city council, including an increase in the allowed number of chickens to 12 and an agreement by the Montalbanos to install a 6-foot-tall privacy fence.

Most important was an 18-month sunset clause to find a more suitable property.

The Montalbanos said they are seeking a new home for the chickens. But without a sizable spike in donations, they said, they can't afford to buy land.

"We have a huge impact," Rick Montalbano said. "But we're a small nonprofit. We don't have the money to make this happen."

3 T's needed

The Montalbanos seek land that could be donated or leased cheaply. Ideally, they'd like to expand their operations at a new site and hire staff to ease the demands on their time.

"We all want the same thing," Wendy Montalbano said. "We're doing this for others."

On Tuesday, the Naperville City Council may confirm the planning and zoning commission's recommendations or side with the city staff direction not to allow the variances.

The Montalbanos hope the council members understand what it takes to make their mission work. They'd like to keep the 16 hens, and not get rid of four or more, because of the time and effort required to train them in groups at varying ages.

And they'd like help in finding something everyone seems to want - a new home for the chickens.

"It's time, talent and treasure," Rick Montalbano said. "We need all three to move forward."