Four years ago I got interested in sustainable living after I watched a movie called Food Inc. and learned about the damage caused by factory farms and about some of the chemicals that are being put into our food every day. Being a teacher I am always interested in learning new things and thought it might be interesting to challenge myself to see what I could produce in my own backyard here in the county. I started with a few raised bed gardens, which quickly turned to fruit bushes, then fruit trees, then a few hens, and now mini goats.
I bought Dixie and Gilbert, my two mini Nubian goats, three months ago after much research and preparation. I had to make sure I had enough room, that my fence was strong enough, and that I would be able to create adequate housing for them. After checking with my neighbors and getting the go ahead I purchased these little guys and have been bottle feeding them for the past three months. Recently, a code officer came to my door to inform me that it was against county code to have goats and chickens in a residential area. The penalty for convicted violation of this code is a $500 fine and up to six years of imprisonment.
Backyard goats and chickens (with some limitations) are legal in the following cities: St. Louis, Oakland, Portland, Cleveland, Forth Worth, Berkeley, St. Paul, San Diego, Seattle, San Francisco, and Pasadena. If they are legal in these cities then why not in Belleville, IL? Please sign this petition to demand that the St. Clair County Board make mini goats and chickens legal in residential areas in St. Clair County.
26 Comments
I am a direct next door neighbor & have NO issues with the goats! Most of the time I even forget they are out there!
As Megan's next door neighbor for the past several years, I have seen the positive result of having chickens (and more recently the two very small and comical goats) has had on her son Alex. He takes on the regular care of the animals and collecting the eggs every morning as a regular responsability that few kids these days come to know. Except for an occasional "baaah" to greet me when I go in my back yard, I would never know these animals are right next door. Few people can say that about their neighbor's pets . It's time to change the rules and possibly tur this type of pet ownership into a new source of tax/fee generating for our local govt.
How sad is it that this is what Belleville is focusing on instead of the robberies and murders that are up. Belleville should be embarrassed that they are even trying to make this an issue. There is a resident that is actually doing something good for the community and they are attacking a hard working tax paying citizen. We all have a stake in sustainable living! Legalize goats and chickens in Belleville!
Pot belly pigs are sold as pets and allowed in most cities. They are larger and much noisier.
Individual right to keep animals as long as they are being adequately housed and taken care of, not bothering others! Save the goats and chickens!
I support!
People want to grow their own food so they know exactly what they are eating. If major cities have changed what the heck is wrong with the rural communities?
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Four years ago I got interested in sustainable living after I watched a movie called Food Inc. and learned about the damage caused by factory farms and about some of the chemicals that are being put into our food every day. Being a teacher I am always interested in learning new things and thought it might be interesting to challenge myself to see what I could produce in my own backyard here in the county. I started with a few raised bed gardens, which quickly turned to fruit bushes, then fruit trees, then a few hens, and now mini goats.
I bought Dixie and Gilbert, my two mini Nubian goats, three months ago after much research and preparation. I had to make sure I had enough room, that my fence was strong enough, and that I would be able to create adequate housing for them. After checking with my neighbors and getting the go ahead I purchased these little guys and have been bottle feeding them for the past three months. Recently, a code officer came to my door to inform me that it was against county code to have goats and chickens in a residential area. The penalty for convicted violation of this code is a $500 fine and up to six years of imprisonment.
Backyard goats and chickens (with some limitations) are legal in the following cities: St. Louis, Oakland, Portland, Cleveland, Forth Worth, Berkeley, St. Paul, San Diego, Seattle, San Francisco, and Pasadena. If they are legal in these cities then why not in Belleville, IL? Please sign this petition to demand that the St. Clair County Board make mini goats and chickens legal in residential areas in St. Clair County.
26 Comments
Megan's two mini goats combined are smaller and weigh less than half of my dog's weight. They take up less space and are very quiet. They are not quite as cute as my big dog but they are very cute. Oh yeah, they also produce milk and goats milk cheese is heathier and easier to digest than cows milk and cheese. Also, they are very interesting to watch play and entertain themselves. I believe most people who took the time to to educate themselves about goats would not object to goats in their neighbor's yard . Obviously, just as some people make poor neighbors, I'm pretty sure there's a goat or two out there that you'd just as soon would move on to the next block, but come on folks, many of us would prefer the goats to your unseemly objection.
I am a direct next door neighbor & have NO issues with the goats! Most of the time I even forget they are out there!
As Megan's next door neighbor for the past several years, I have seen the positive result of having chickens (and more recently the two very small and comical goats) has had on her son Alex. He takes on the regular care of the animals and collecting the eggs every morning as a regular responsability that few kids these days come to know. Except for an occasional "baaah" to greet me when I go in my back yard, I would never know these animals are right next door. Few people can say that about their neighbor's pets . It's time to change the rules and possibly tur this type of pet ownership into a new source of tax/fee generating for our local govt.
How sad is it that this is what Belleville is focusing on instead of the robberies and murders that are up. Belleville should be embarrassed that they are even trying to make this an issue. There is a resident that is actually doing something good for the community and they are attacking a hard working tax paying citizen. We all have a stake in sustainable living! Legalize goats and chickens in Belleville!
Pot belly pigs are sold as pets and allowed in most cities. They are larger and much noisier.
Individual right to keep animals as long as they are being adequately housed and taken care of, not bothering others! Save the goats and chickens!
I support!
People want to grow their own food so they know exactly what they are eating. If major cities have changed what the heck is wrong with the rural communities?
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Megan's two mini goats combined are smaller and weigh less than half of my dog's weight. They take up less space and are very quiet. They are not quite as cute as my big dog but they are very cute. Oh yeah, they also produce milk and goats milk cheese is heathier and easier to digest than cows milk and cheese. Also, they are very interesting to watch play and entertain themselves. I believe most people who took the time to to educate themselves about goats would not object to goats in their neighbor's yard . Obviously, just as some people make poor neighbors, I'm pretty sure there's a goat or two out there that you'd just as soon would move on to the next block, but come on folks, many of us would prefer the goats to your unseemly objection.