Goat dispute heading to court this spring

DORCHESTER, N.B. — Why can’t they just leave him and his goats alone?

Dorchester resident Bill Steele wants to know.

He received notice last week from the village ordering him to court over his refusal to remove three goats from his property.

Steele was shocked to receive the 500 pages of court documents this week. He said he is disappointed the village has decided to pursue these charges against him. “It blows my mind,” he said. The documents say Steele failed to remove the goats as he was ordered to do last summer he’s in violation of the village’s zoning bylaw. Steele said the village seeks wants legal costs and requesting he be banned from ever owning animals.

Steele said he isn’t sure why the village council would spend thousands of dollars to take this to court, rather than trying to work it out.

He said he has no intention of finding a new home for what he says are his pets.

“I have the three goats and they’re staying here,” he said.

“They are accusing me of running an agricultural operation with farm animals. I am not running a farm. I do not have farm animals. I have three goats and they are my pets, they are my support animals.”

The dispute over the backyard goats began last summer. Steele, owner of Dorchester’s historic jail which he has turned into a bed and breakfast, said he purchased the goats and five chickens in hope of attracting more visitors to his Airbnb.

But shortly after Steele received a notice ordering him to remove the goats from his property. The letter from the Southeast Regional Service Commission (SERSC) said keeping farm animals is an agricultural activity, not permitted in the village centre zone.

The village’s zoning bylaw doesn’t consider the goats — Rhea, Princess and Deputy Mayor — household pets.

The SERSC letter advised Steele he had until July 20 to find alternative accommodations for his goats, either outside the village centre zone on a property that has an existing agricultural operation or outside village limits.

That deadline passed and Steele said he heard very little on the issue — until this week.

“This is ridiculous. I didn’t think I’d have to get a legal contract just to have a few goats.”

Village officials are remaining mum on the issue, saying it’s now a legal issue that will be decided on by a judge.

“They’re making a huge, giant deal out of nothing,” Steele says. “I have three goats that aren’t hurting anybody. So, I don’t know where this is coming from.”

The court date is May 6. Steele said he will represent himself.

“They can go ahead and sue me. I got nothing … so I have nothing to lose,” he said. “I’m not getting rid of them, it’s as simple as that.”