A New Brunswick couple isn鈥檛 kidding around when it comes to a bylaw dispute with the town they live in after being told they need to get rid of their pet goats.
Four-month-old goats Nelly and Harvey are at the centre of the conflict between the Town of Rothesay and their owners, who are refusing to remove the animals.
鈥淲e鈥檝e gotten pretty attached to them,鈥� owner Andrew Brooks told CTV Atlantic. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e part of the family now.鈥�
Bylaw enforcement issued an order to the couple back in August, stating they needed to remove goats by Sept. 17.
An anonymous complaint tipped officials off to the pets, which violate Rothesay鈥檚 zoning bylaw. According to the statute, only domestic animals like dogs and cats, or exotic animals weighing less than 50 kg can be kept in a residential zone.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 see the issue with it,鈥� Brooks said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e not hurting anyone. They鈥檙e not bothering anyone.鈥�
鈥淎nd they keep my lawn pretty tidy.鈥�
The couple has circulated a petition to neighbours seeking support to keep their goats. So far, they have more than 130 signatures.
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 surprise me that the Town of Rothesay would want the goats gone,鈥� said neighbor Edgar Holloway. 鈥淲hen I first heard them, I said they won鈥檛 be long, someone would complain.鈥�
Rothesay Mayor Nancy Grant told CTV Atlantic that the town鈥檚 primary concerns are the health issues that come with keeping livestock animals in a domestic area, as well as minor management, noise, and nuisance concerns.
The owners, as stubborn as their pets, haven鈥檛 taken the ruling sitting down.
They say that they have no plan to get rid of their goats, and won鈥檛 be moving away either.
With a report from CTV Atlantic鈥檚 Laura Lyall
