We are respectfully asking the City of Columbia, SC to allow our family to keep our two beloved goats, Tater Tot and Britches, at our home within city limits.

These goats are not livestock. They are certified emotional support animals who have been handled regularly from a very young age and trained to provide healing, companionship, and joy to our family, neighborhood children (including foster youth), and the broader community. Our goats have participated in church programming, helped with invasive plant control, and even earned awards at the SC State Fair. They are well cared for, neutered, vaccinated, and securely housed.

We are not seeking to change the law. City Ordinance No. 2009-106 currently allows livestock, including goats, within the city—as long as they are securely penned and not used for agricultural purposes. The only technical issue in our case is that our goats are housed less than 500 feet from the nearest dwelling, due to the natural limitations of our urban lot.

We are simply asking the city to grant a waiver of this 500-foot distance requirement so that our family can continue to care for these animals responsibly and legally.

We also believe in fairness: Our neighbor keeps a pig at his residence—a species explicitly prohibited by the very same ordinance. Yet no enforcement action has been taken. This appears to be a case of preferential treatment, which makes our family’s situation all the more disheartening.

Please sign this petition to show your support for:

Fair and equal treatment under city ordinances
The recognition of emotional support animals as vital to mental health
Allowing Tater Tot and Britches to stay in the loving home and community where they belong
Your support can help our family keep our companions, and help the City of Columbia set a compassionate example for others.

Let Tater Tot and Britches stay. Help us bring them home—for good.