A miniature goat named Porsche Lane is coming home to Wyoming. That’s after her owner sued the City of Powell for not allowing the goat and allegedly violating the U.S. constitution.
The owner, Venus Bontadelli, recently moved to Powell from California with Porsche Lane, a 20-pound pygmy goat. According to legal filings, Bontadelli was enticed by Wyoming’s “live and let live” culture and politics of “less government.”
So she was surprised when the local government told her she couldn’t keep Porsche Lane. Bontadelli has previously kept Porsche in her house, bottlefeeding her. Goats aren’t considered household pets in the city. Bontadelli applied for an exotic pet permit, but was denied.
Legal documents cite one city council member who was concerned that giving Bontadelli a permit could mean “a herd of Nubians” would be “running around town.” Nubians are a larger goat breed.
Lawyer Austin Waisanen with the Libertarian-leaning Pacific Legal Foundation represented Bontadelli. He said his organization takes on cases that are in the public interest, “defending constitutional rights when government oversteps.”
“Local governments across the nation, and including in Wyoming, exercise what I would say is a pretty shockingly large grant of power,” Waisanen said.
He said the city has no standards for determining who gets an animal permit and, thus, denied Bontadelli’s constitutional right to due process.
“It’s not disputed that cities and local governments can regulate certain uses of property, like keeping some animals,” Waisanen said. “It's just about whether they have to say what the rules are when they do engage in such regulation.”
Now, Waisanen said the city is settling the case and granting a permit for Porsche Lane, who he said will return home soon. The goat had been in California while the litigation was underway.
According to Pablo Perez Castello, the case is a win for animals. He studies animal ethics as a research fellow at the Animal Law Program at the Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver.
“Animals are often depicted as a thing, as property, as beings who we can simply use,” Castello said. “It is important to recognize that they are community members who have a right to reside in human/animal communities.”
He continued, “This case helps in some respects to move in that direction.”
The lawyer representing the City of Powell on the case said he has no comment on the settlement.
This settlement comes after other places in our region have passed policies to allow small goats within city limits. That includes Midvale, Utah, which in 2019 passed an ordinance to allow the goats, but only if there’s two, so they’re not lonely or loud. Colorado Springs also allows small goats, but requires big lots for them.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Northern Colorado, KANW in New Mexico, Colorado Public Radio, KJZZ in Arizona and NPR, with additional support from affiliate newsrooms across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Eric and Wendy Schmidt.
