Louisville woman fights to keep miniature horse amid ordinance changes
By Edward Smith
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LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (WLKY) — A Louisville woman’s effort to keep her miniature horse, Bandit, at her home is gaining traction after a new ordinance required animals like him to be kept on at least one acre of land.
In the backyard of Susan Bruner’s home, 14-year-old Bandit doesn’t make much noise, aside from an occasional neigh, but he has become the center of community discussion in recent weeks.
Kaylah Morris, a local resident, said, “The kids they love they love to feed him apples. Like we have the fence. We just feed them apples. And stuff right over the fence and yeah, he’s he’s great.”
The miniature horse has been at the forefront of backlash against a recently passed Louisville Metro ordinance. While the ordinance primarily focused on micro-chipping pets, it also included requirements for horses and other animals, stating they must be kept on at least one acre of land.
For Bruner, this change was both major and unexpected.
“They came out the end of November. The first part of December. …And wellness check. Everything checked out. I said, yeah, because it always does and we’re up to code. Everything’s fine. And he said, actually, you’re not any more,” Bruner said.
Neighbors were equally disappointed to learn that Bandit might have to leave. One neighbor expressed, “I think it’s sad, honestly, because they’ve had them for a long time, and and I that’s the neighbor’s baby. And I would feel so bad if that happened to them.”
In response, neighbors started a petition, gathering more than 1,600 signatures, which caught the attention of the Metro Council.
Jennifer Chappell, one of the ordinance’s sponsors, released a statement Monday, expressing her support for Bandit and recommending that Bandit and other affected animals be grandfathered in.
“I want to be clear that I support Bandit and his owner, and I appreciate the compassion this community has shown in keeping Bandit at home,” Chappell said in a statement. “After speaking with Metro Animal Services and the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office, I learned ponies and miniature horses were included in this ordinance because they were inadvertently omitted from earlier animal control language. This was simply meant to add clarification, not to target a specific animal or community member. Metro Animal Services will be recommending Bandit be grandfathered in, and I have initiated the process to add that grandfathering language to all animals affected in the legislation that was passed in October.”
Bruner said Bandit is an important piece of her life.
“He’s my baby. He calms me when I get nervous and stressed. I go out on the porch and he comes up and he just. He calms me,” Bruner said.
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