Politics & Government

Goats in Yard of Oakhurst Resident Deemed "Companion" Animals

After being served with a citation for keeping goats, Stacy Reno gets to keep them, but may need to downsize to meet requirements.

Not long after Patch posted a story about and a citation from the city to remove them within 30 days, she found out she gets to keep them. 

Decatur City Manager Peggy Merriss personally called, then emailed Reno, and told her she gets to keep her dwarf breed goats: Holy Cow, Little Victor and Button.

"Hooray," Reno said. "It may mean I have to downsize. But I don't have to give up the goats."

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According to the email from Merriss, keeping goats has not come up since a City Commission discussion in June, 2000, to which she referred.

"At that time the City Commission decided that in regards to a specific request, cashmere goats were considered companion animals and would be allowed. ... A review of reference sources regarding pygmy goats indicates that they are most often treated as pets and not generally for milk or meat purposes. So based on all of the above information, you can keep the pygmy goats as long as you meet all the other requirements of the ordinance which, includes having minimum floor space of four square feet per animal."

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"I could never have eaten Button," said Reno, owner of Roost Realty.

Monday morning Reno discovered a citation from the City of Decatur on her door giving her 30 days to remove or relocate her pet goats, a small Nigerian Dwarf breed, which she tends with her 20 chickens, 20 baby chicks, duck and a turkey.

The city posted the notice after a neighbor complained.

Reno said her goats, like the other animals, are a hit with daughters, Alice and Grace, who often bottle feed them. The goats and chickens are also fodder for classroom discussions where they go to school.

The city told Reno that a representative will contact her to look into the floor area requirements to see that the floor area requirements of the City's ordinance are being met.

For instance, fowl cages must be kept at least 75 feet away from nearby residences, which Reno thinks may be difficult to adhere to in a neighborhood in which lots are only 50 feet wide.

Still, she's thrilled with the outcome. She said, "I'm so happy I get to keep my goats."


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