The Yatesville City Council is looking into changing a portion of an animal control agreement it has with Upson County to identify specific animals as nuisances. Currently the agreement just specifies dogs and cats as being nuisances.
The issue came up at the April meeting of the council when Chase Street residents Gary and Gail Campbell came with a complaint about one of their neighbor’s goats repeatedly climbing over a fence and getting into their yard, tearing up vegetation and scratching their cars. The Campbells have had problems before with their neighbor, Mr. Kendricks, who houses chickens, goats, pigs and cows on his property.
Gail Campbell said on April 1, one of the goats came onto their property. She said they called Council member Wanda Dozier, who came over and saw the goat on their property. Campbell said they followed Dozier’s instructions and called law enforcement.
But, said Campbell, after the deputy came out, they were told that the animal control agreement between the city and county is just for dogs and cats, and not for other types of animals.
“Therefore, we’re coming before you this evening to ask if you could possibly look into amending this agreement to include livestock like goats, pigs, cows and chickens? requested Gail Campbell.
Council member Ronnie Riggins asked what kind of damage was done.
Gail Campbell said they had vegetation damage and property damage. She added that this has happened before.
“We, as citizens of Yatesville, want to know how many times can you replant, regrow and replace property that you worked for?” she asked. “It is not fair to us as citizens, or fair to anyone else.”
“We’ve come home twice with our trees damaged and fruit taken off our trees,” added her husband, Gary Campbell. “I see hoof prints and foot prints all in my yard. Monday I came in and that goat was out there eating up our stuff. I called Wanda, and she came out and seen him in my yard. He even climbed up on my car, damaging my car.
“When the Sheriff’s deputy came out, Mr. Kendricks told him that I was harassing him. I told the deputy, how am I harassing him when he has goats over here damaging my property? I don’t have nothing over there damaging his property.”
Campbell said he has talked to his neighbor and asked him to keep his animals in his yard. Campbell added he is tired of being bothered with it, and asked the council to change the agreement.
“If I understood the Sheriff, he wants the agreement to specifically say pig, cow, goat, etc.,” said Campbell. “He said if it had been worded like that, he could have issued a citation.”
Riggins questioned the Sheriff’s interpretation of the agreement, but agreed to make the change.
“You’d think because it says ‘any animal’ it could be enforced,” said Riggins. “A goat’s an animal.
If ‘any animal’ isn’t good enough and they want it specified, I don’t have a problem with it.”
Mayor Cecil Moncrief told the Campbells the council will check with the city attorney to see how they handle changing the agreement.
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