HUNTINGTON WOODS, Mich. – What started as a summer research project about chickens, has turned into a mission for a 12-year-old girl.
Georgia Stoy has a retriever, a gecko and a fish, but now she wants to get chickens, but realized a local ordinance doesn't allow that.
Georgia wants to change the ordinance, so she has been doing her research. She looked up the pros and cons and the myths and concerns about having chickens as pets.
"She's been doing all the research herself, going to the library and making calls," said Bridget McKinley, Georgia's mother.
The soon-to-be seventh-grade student plans to make her case to the city's planning commission in September.
"I could talk about my idea of getting chickens and share my information and facts," Georgia said.
She realized how much she loved chickens when she went to summer camp and now wants them in her backyard. Georgia researched the concerns about having chickens as pets -- like the potential for rats or the smell -- but she said responsible owners can avoid those issues.
"I like how they're really nice and how they have different personalities," Georgia said.
She knows not everyone will be on board with the idea, but she does have allies. A woman from Berkley was able to change the ordinance there, and Georgia is working to change it in Huntington Woods.
"How many people feel like they can make a change -- especially at that age," McKinley said. "Even if she's not successful, what a great lesson."
"Anybody can make a change in the way people think of things," Georgia said. "If you are supportive of an idea you should just do it."