Dear Neighbors,
My name is Faye, I live off of Scanlan Avenue. As many of you know, I own Tarzan the goat. He is my emotional support animal. I know reading that sentence, it sounds insane, but having him in my life has brought me so much joy and happiness. A few years ago, I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. He lessens anxiety and provides life structure for me. I brought Tarzan home when he was 8 days old, bottle fed him for 2 months, and raised him as a domesticated animal ever since. Tarzan lives inside, he is potty trained, the little guy even sleeps on an orthopedic bed and wears sweaters. He truly is my little baby, and I am all he knows as a mother.
I am sure you are wondering why the heck I am writing this letter. Unfortunately, there is a neighbor, upset with myself and a few other neighbors next door to me. This neighbor has yelled at surrounding neighbors' dogs when they bark, banged on windows to make them be quiet, left passive aggressive notes in my mailbox, and now is attempting to have Tarzan taken from me. After a disagreement between my next-door neighbor and this neighbor, animal control was called on Tarzan.
Three officers showed up at my house, one with a bullet proof vest and gun. I was told a complaint was made, and due to goats being correlated to “Latino gang violence” he cannot live here. To say I was scared and shocked does not even do my feelings justice. My heart broke when I was told he could no longer live with me. Tarzan is my whole world, and I will not let him be taken from me as an act of vengeance.
The officer told me the only way to keep Tarzan will involve appealing to a judge in court. I am not here to cause any issues between neighbors. I am simply begging for any support or help my neighbors are willing to offer. I bought this house a little over a year ago; Tarzan and I were welcomed with open arms by so many neighbors. I truly feel at home on Scanlan Avenue.
I am honestly not quite sure where to begin with this process, but having my neighbors' support would be a great first step. If you haven’t already met Tarzan, feel free to stop by. He loves being petted, cuddling, and being fed pretzels ha-ha.
I will be creating an online petition for the judge, requesting Tarzan be allowed to stay in his home with me. If you are willing to support Tarzan and I, it would truly mean so much to me.