Goats Must Go, Danvers Woman Told

DANVERS, MA -- The Danvers Zoning Board of Appeals backed building inspector Richard Maloney's order to a Hobart Street resident to get rid of two goats she kept on her property. Despite a petition signed by more than 1,200 Danvers residents and close to 50 people at Monday night's meeting, the ZBA ruled Brittany Dupont-Raesly was violating local laws by keeping Dean and Delucca, her two neutered goats, on her property.

"Congratulations on your win tonight to the ones who issued a complaint on my helpless loving pets," Dupont-Raesly wrote on Facebook in reference to Lance Arlander of Pine Street, who originally filed the complaint with Maloney. "I truly hope you never have to feel the kind of sadness in your heart that you have caused my family to have to endure."

At Monday night's meeting, Dupont-Raesly argued the goats were family pets not used for milk or breeding. Arlander claimed the animals attracted rats and snakes to the neighborhood and said he and his wife were concerned for the health and safety of their grandchildren.

The ZBA made it decision partly based on the reasoning that allowing the goats would create exemptions for people to keep other types of farm animals in residential areas. Dupont-Raesly has the option of appealing the ZBA's decision in the state court system.

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Photo by Dave Copeland/Patch.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).