Edmonton officers seize backyard chicken after legal battle with homeowner

Ivan Dacko fought hard to keep his backyard chickens – even choosing to sit in jail for a few days – but his last egg-laying hen has been plucked from his home.

The east Edmonton resident had six of the birds and a two-storey coop, but he never had a license from the city.

Last month, the retired electrician lost a court judgment that gave him 10 days to find a new home for the chickens or else the city would take them away.

Two police officers and two bylaw officers did just that on Tuesday.

"Do you want to take us to the thing?" a bylaw officer asked Dacko.

"You do whatever you have to do. I'm too busy," Dacko told him.

"Where are the chickens?" an Edmonton Police Service officer asked.

"They know," Dacko said, pointing to the bylaw officers.

One of them then found the chicken in the yard, picked her up and loaded her into a city vehicle.

Dacko welcomed CTV News Edmonton onto the property, but dodged questions about what he did with the other five chickens.

"They flew away. After all, they are birds," he said. "I think they are somewhere between heaven and the earth."

An Edmonton Police Service officer and a peace officer speak with Ivan Dacko before taking his backyard chicken on April 4, 2023. (CTV News Edmonton)

'REMAINED UNWILLING TO COMPLY'

Tuesday's seizure probably ends a kerfuffle that dragged on for months.

After being warned to get rid of his chickens, Dacko was fined $500 for refusing. He decided not to pay up or hire a lawyer, and was sentenced to four days in the Edmonton Remand Centre.

And it’s not the first time Dacko had a legal battle over animals.

He and his wife were fined $3,000 each for riding their bikes amongst bighorn sheep in Banff National Park in 2016.

At the time, Dacko said he did nothing wrong and he'd do it all over again. On Tuesday, he repeated a similar sentiment.

"I phone already 311 and inquire for pheasants and quails and I was surprised for animal control phoning me and using the words, 'In your case, it's not allowed,"' Dacko said.

Dacko's neighbours, meanwhile, have complained numerous times about odours and submitted videos of chickens leaving his property, a city spokesperson told CTV News Edmonton.

His initial application to have the chickens was also incomplete, she stated.

"Animal control officers have made numerous attempts to gain compliance from Mr. Dacko since last April however he has remained unwilling to comply," Chrystal Coleman wrote in a statement in March.

"Given the history of non-compliance, statements of intent not to comply with the bylaw in the future and concerns regarding the health and safety of the chickens, the city refused Mr. Dacko’s application."

City officials said they would find a good place for the chicken.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's David Ewasuk

Ivan Dacko with his backyard hens in Edmonton on March 8, 2023. (Darcy Seaton/CTV News Edmonton)