If it makes you feel any better, there was an animal rights activist who came to our last city council meeting with a bunny (that was terrified to be in a crowded room of so many people), and compared urban farmers to Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction (boiling pet bunnies).
Oh, geez. That sounds a little nutty. The neighbor's pool? Are there no pro-chicken people out there dispelling such myths? Oakland (Bay Area, CA) is going through a really intense battle over urban farming, people get very heated over this stuff. Wish I had some sage wisdom, but just have...