An animal control officer was pecked and contracted an infection from a wild chicken in Weirton, the mayor said.

Mayor Mark Harris said the chickens in the Kings Creek section of the city are a safety hazard for everyone involved and said crews are doing their best to contain the flock.

He said there were only about 10 to 15 wild chickens a couple of decades ago. Now, he said there are about 100 chickens roaming the neighborhood.

"They wake up my babies, wake me up, they're dirty, disgusting, they're everywhere," said Christina Foley, a Wall Street resident.

Harris called the flock "dirty and infected," and said city leaders have been trying for nine months to corral the chickens -- with no luck.

Now, police Chief Bruce Marshall said crews will catch the chickens and "humanely deal with them." Further, he said a family who lives nearby is accused of feeding the flock and thereby making the situation worse.

"We are looking at different options (and) continuing doing what we are doing until they are caught," Marshall said.

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