Woman wins legal battle to keep miniature horse
By Edward Smith
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LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (WLKY) — Susan Bruner won a court battle Wednesday to keep her miniature horse, Bandit, despite a new ordinance in Louisville requiring large animals to be kept on at least one acre of land.
Supporters gathered in a courtroom to show their support for Bruner and her horse. Bruner, who has kept Bandit in her backyard for 14 years, expressed relief after the court’s decision.
“I’m feeling a little at ease. I got it dismissed. So part one’s done. We’ve got Bandit safe. He’s staying where he’s at,” Bruner said.
Bruner shared that she had been anxious about the outcome, saying, “I’ve been panicking and I’ve been having, anxiety attacks. Really at the beginning, after I started getting all the help from all the community, I eased a little.”
The backlash against the ordinance led Councilwoman Jennifer Chappell to push for changes to exempt animals owned in Louisville before the ordinance passed. The court’s decision protects Bandit until the legislation is amended, but Bruner remains concerned for others who may want to own similar animals.
“We need the acreage taken out. If somebody owns a miniature horse, and they want to move to Jefferson County. They wouldn’t be able to,” Bruner said.
Despite her concerns, Bruner is grateful for the outcome and looks forward to reuniting with Bandit.
“I’m gonna give him a hug. I give my baby a hug and a carrot,” she said.
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