PETITION FOR EQUITABLE PET ORDINANCE WITHIN CITY LIMITS

As of this writing, the Lexington Fayette Urban County Code of Ordinances Sec. 4-11 (a), prohibits the habitation of goats within any area of the urban county. The ordinance itself only mentions goats in passing, grouping them with pigs and hogs, despite the significant differences between the species. Within the ordinance there is no clear cut reasoning as to why goats are prohibited within the city, nor are goats mentioned within the ordinance pertaining to noisy animals (Sec. 4-12(a)(b)).

Under KRS 257.010 (11)(1) Goats are defined as livestock within the bounds of Kentucky law. While this may seem a reasonable assumption to draw upon, it leaves a vague idea as to where goats stand legally in terms of legally being domesticated as pets. At present time, there is no clear ordinance within the Kentucky Regulatory Statutes which defines the rights of citizens of Kentucky to possess goats as pets.

These standards have not only failed to take in to consideration that goats have been popularized as pets, but they fail to consider that they have created a legal bind for those who wish to keep goats as pets. They offer no alternative than to either A. live outside of Fayette County in an area where there is no reason to worry that the goats will be an issue or B. abandon cherished family pets upon moving to the region. There is however a third option. We can work together to push to create legislation and ordinances which are equitable in their treatment of goats as domestic pets. Ideally this legislation would alter the legal status of goats from being that of livestock to being considered pets in the same notion of cats and dogs. By signing below, you are informing our legislators of your support the habitation of goats as domestic pets, within Fayette County.