A New Brunswick couple is butting heads with the town of Rothesay over a pair of pet goats.
Andrew Brooks and Christine Howatt are pretty fond of their two pet goats, Nelly and Harvey.
“We’ve gotten pretty attached to them, they’re part of the family now,” says Brooks from his home in Rothesay, N.B.
The problem is, the Town of Rothesay is now telling the couple that their goats have got to go.
A by-law enforcement order issued August 10th states the goats were supposed to be removed by September 17th. The order was sparked by an anonymous complaint.
“I don’t see the issue with it,” explains Brooks. “They’re not hurting anyone, they’re not bothering anyone, and they keep my lawn pretty tidy.”
Rothesay’s zoning by-law says only domestic animals can be kept in a residential zone. It defines domestic animals as any animal that would normally be considered a pet, including a dog, cat or exotic animal under 50 kilograms.
The town says goats don’t fall into the by-law’s definition of domestic.
“We do have to be careful to protect the neighbours, so our concerns would be around health issues, manure management, and noise and nuisance,” says Nancy Grant, Mayor of the Town of Rothesay.
The owners have circulated a petition to generate support to keep their goats, which has received more than 130 signatures.
Neighbour Edgar Halloway says he doesn’t mind the goats next door.
“It doesn’t surprise me that the Town of Rothesay would want to goats gone. When I first heard them, I said, ‘it won’t be long, someone would complain’,” says Halloway.
Brooks says they don’t plan on getting rid of their goats, and don’t plan on moving their home.
It appears the stand-off between a town, a couple, and their goats, won’t be ending anytime soon.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Laura Lyall.
