Buying a household pet can be a big project. Time and thought usually goes into such a purchase. For most animals larger than a rabbit, it takes a lot of planning, research and ground rules beforehand. But generally speaking, when buying a pet, families don’t worry if they have to check with their town beforehand to see if it’s OK.
A Farmington family that wants to add to its mix of two- and four-legged members recently got some surprising news: it’ll require a temporary use permit, a kennel and the Planning Board’s approval.
Farmington is citing a code that limits the number of dogs a family can own on less than 5 acres of non-farming property to three — the Carvotta family was informed of this law when taking their fourth dog to get licensed.
The Carvottas live on 2.9 acres of land in the agricultural district, and have the capacity to properly care for four dogs. They weren’t taken to the Planning Board by unhappy neighbors, and they aren’t looking to expand their pet population any further. As Eric Carvotta said, “We just want to be able to keep what we have.” That doesn’t seem too much to ask for, especially in a town that celebrates the freedom that comes from being predominantly rural.
It’s a frivolous issue for a Planning Board to spend time on; Carvotta pleaded his case on Aug. 4 and the board seemed to be sympathetic. Earlier plans for a kennel have been withdawn and the family will a “temporary use permit,” letting them keep the four dogs for the next five years.
Seems like a lot of work, expense and red tape for a family to go through just to keep a pet who’s been under their care for nearly a year.
The town code is accurate in this sense: Five acres is plenty big enough for four dogs. But so are two acres. And whether those dogs sleep in a basement, at the foot of a child’s bed or in a kennel should be up to the owners. A reassessment of the code is in order.
In a town like Farmington, where there are rural areas and developed areas, it is not appropriate to apply one-size-fits-all laws to residents.
