HELP SAVE THE FARM

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OUR TOWN HAS SHUT OUR IMPORTANT FARM ANIMAL RESCUE OPERATION DOWN. THEY HAVE GIVEN US MANY ANIMALS TO ADOPT BUT NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY SAY WE CANNOT HAVE A NOT-FOR-PROFIT BUSINESS OR ANY BUSINESS FOR THAT MATTER IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA. THEY SAY (ALL OF A SUDDEN) THAT WE ARE NOT ZONED FOR THIS OPERATION. THEY KNEW WHAT WE WERE ZONED WHEN THEY ASKED US TO SAVE A FEW PIGS, CHICKENS, DUCKS, ETC. WE ADOPTED THESE ANIMALS FROM "THEM" AND NOW THEY TURN AROUND (FOUR YEARS LATER) AND SAY WHAT WE ARE DOING IS ILLEGAL YET THEY DROPPED US OFF DUCKS AND RACCOONS SEVERAL MONTHS AGO. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP EVERYBODY.

HTTP://WWW.PETITIONONLINE.COM/BJRSK/PETITION.HTML

-- JO VEGA (CIRCLEOFLIFEFARM@AOL.COM), November 15, 2001

Answers

cap button is on the left,,, but,, ,you should be grandfathered,, if your not,, fight it, get a zoneing changed,, whatever,, get a lawyer and sue them

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), November 15, 2001.

It really would not hurt a thing if we knew what state you are in.

Also it would be appropriate NOT to type in all caps as everyone knows that this is considered yelling on the internet.

You just might be surprised at how sensitive some of us really are.

-- Ed Copp (OH) (edcopp@yahoo.com), November 15, 2001.


Jo, I can only hope you have saved any correspondence between the city and you. It is called implied consent. You really need to get a lawyer. You can go to city hall and ask to see the city ordinance that prohibits your farm rescue organization. Get a copy of this and take it to the county attorney if you can't afford your own. Most small town ordinances are so vague as to be illegal. If they just came up with this law, they will have to grandfather your farm, as Stan told you. But you need to get started. Also, animals like raccoons are not domesticated and take a special permit to keep. They have been breaking the law if they are bringing wild animals for you to take care of. It would help to know where you are located ie city and state and if you are inspected by the state and are running a legal operation. Perhaps that is not needed where you live but it is in Kansas. I'd love to help, but we all need more information as to how many, and what kind of animals you rescue, and what kind of living quarters you have for them. Gee whiz having pigs in a residential area has got t get you in trouble. Are you finding homes for all these critters or keeping them?

-- Karen in Kansas (kansasgoats@iwon.com), November 15, 2001.

I've known Jo for several years on another board. I hope she doesn't mind my saying that she's located in New York, and she has the typical farm animals and other rescued wildlife which were released into the wild. Jo is a christian woman who donates her time, rescues these animals and opens her farm to the community. She is a very caring person and I applaud her work.

-- Marsha (CaprisMaa@aol.com), November 20, 2001.

We are located in New York. There are no zoning regulations to state that what we are doing is illegal. The code enforcement officials came to our farm on an anonymous complaint and decided to be real nasty people. We are currently looking for a good civil rights attorney. We are not completely in a residential area but rather surrounded by working farmland. If we continue to "get rid" of animals such as goats, pigs, sheep, etc...the children on Long Island will only have the opportunity to see these beautiful creatures of God in a book and that would not be fair. We are going to continue our fight and I trust WE WILL WIN!!! If you would like to send a correspondence in the mail please send it to PO Box 55, Great River, NY 11739. Thanks.

-- Jo-Elynn Vega (CircleOfLifeFarm@aol.com), February 17, 2002.


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