Licence rehabber is getting grief from her town

[PeggyAnn]

Hi all,
I am posting for a wonderful loving lady who I am grateful to call my friend. She has taken in and released many of squirrels, usually she gets them when they are just pinkies. She LOVES all her babies and will be up all night with them if they need. Problem is now the town is on her case. She has her state licence and will be applying for her federal with in days. The town says there is an ordinance stating, no resident should have any wild animal with in their premises. This will go to the town board in a few weeks and will be discussed. She might loose her fight!! Have anyone out there dealt with this situation? My friend is hysterical!!! Any suggestions would be appreciated!!

Thank you all for reading

[stosh2010]

Oh My---
I don't have any suggestions...but I'll say a few prayers that the hearing goes in YOUR favor.
Hopefully others with experience dealing with state and county ordinances will chime in.........

[island rehabber]

My heart hurts for this poor lady. I have experience with nasty condo boards but not when it is an actual Town ordinance that you cannot have wildlife. I wonder if she can just make the most professional law-abiding appearance possible at this hearing and win everybody over to her cause That would be my only suggestion ...that she just play it as cool and professional as possible

[Daisey007]

Doesn't the STATE supercede CITY laws? :dono

Perhaps she's being bullied....?
Besides HOW does anyone know unless she's taking them
around other people?

Something sounds out of place...

[Tai]

There's a rehabber here where I am that has a very similar situation. She's been on tv, all the newspapers, does school programs etc, everyone loves what she's doing except for a few of her neighbors. It went to the city and after quite a fight and several hearings, she had to move her rehab to another area. It's really not fair. The best time she had at the hearings is when she presented a strong case for the benefits to the city of what she was doing. Maybe your friend can prepare something like that?

[PeggyAnn]

Doesn't the STATE supercede CITY laws? :dono

Perhaps she's being bullied....?
Besides HOW does anyone know unless she's taking them
around other people?

Something sounds out of place...

My friend was trying to prepare her rehabbed healthy squirrels for freedom. She had them in cages outside in order to get them acclimated to the outside world. Her bully neighbors called the city on her saying horrible things about her. It's just not fair!!!

[PeggyAnn]

There's a rehabber here where I am that has a very similar situation. She's been on tv, all the newspapers, does school programs etc, everyone loves what she's doing except for a few of her neighbors. It went to the city and after quite a fight and several hearings, she had to move her rehab to another area. It's really not fair. The best time she had at the hearings is when she presented a strong case for the benefits to the city of what she was doing. Maybe your friend can prepare something like that?

Same with my friend. A newspaper reporter found a baby squirrel and contacted my friend. My friend saved the squirrels life and the reporter wrote a big article about her and all the fur babies she saves. She also has taught school children about what to do if they find hurt animals. She doesn't want me to give out to much information due to causing problems with the city. Right now she is laying low and will go before the board when needed.

[PeggyAnn]

My heart hurts for this poor lady. I have experience with nasty condo boards but not when it is an actual Town ordinance that you cannot have wildlife. I wonder if she can just make the most professional law-abiding appearance possible at this hearing and win everybody over to her cause That would be my only suggestion ...that she just play it as cool and professional as possible

Thank you, that is what she is going to do. Lay low and get all her information together for the board. I will be there, also friends of squirrels she saved with be there for her pleading her case. She doesn't want me to give out too much info, she is so scared... Knowledge is power! This forum has so much information I can share with her. Huge Thank You to all!

[PeggyAnn]

Oh My---
I don't have any suggestions...but I'll say a few prayers that the hearing goes in YOUR favor.
Hopefully others with experience dealing with state and county ordinances will chime in.........

Thank you all for your input. :grouphug I will show this to my friend and let her know that she is not alone in this fight. I hope she will join your group and see how many squirrel lovers are really out there! :squirrel2

[UDoWhat]

Please check what other licensed rehabilitators in your state are doing. Are they rehabbing in their homes? If her license says she can rehab in her home facility, like my MD State license says, then they cannot make her stop rehabbing in her home. We had a case in MD that the city council tried to shut down one of our rehabbers but because she does not release on her property (she does use her outdoor cages to acclimate her babies) the city was not able to do anything about what she does inside her own home and on her property. She may have to stop releasing on her property but the city CANNOT tell her what she can do in her own home. As IR said, she should make that case in a very respectful and professional way . But also let the city know they have no business telling her what to do in her own home. How would they like it? She has rights. She needs to stand up if her license is in order. I would get a lawyer to accompany me to the meeting and call the local newspaper. The MD rehabber I mentioned, did have a lawyer that took her case for free. Do check her State license to see if it says she can rehab in her home. Check with other rehabbers in the state too. Good luck with this case. In MD the state did trump the city.

[PeggyAnn]

Please check what other licensed rehabilitators in your state are doing. Are they rehabbing in their homes? If her license says she can rehab in her home facility, like my MD State license says, then they cannot make her stop rehabbing in her home. We had a case in MD that the city council tried to shut down one of our rehabbers but because she does not release on her property (she does use her outdoor cages to acclimate her babies) the city was not able to do anything about what she does inside her own home and on her property. She may have to stop releasing on her property but the city CANNOT tell her what she can do in her own home. As IR said, she should make that case in a very respectful and professional way . But also let the city know they have no business telling her what to do in her own home. How would they like it? She has rights. She needs to stand up if her license is in order. I would get a lawyer to accompany me to the meeting and call the local newspaper. The MD rehabber I mentioned, did have a lawyer that took her case for free. Do check her State license to see if it says she can rehab in her home. Check with other rehabbers in the state too. Good luck with this case. In MD the state did trump the city.

Thank you Marty, I will tell my friend what you said. I will see her tomorrow and we will look at her licence.... fingers crossed!:thumbsup

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

I'd think they'd try to get her on building codes or something for the prerelease cages. I imagine there are some cities you can raise animals in but cannot build outdoor cages in.

[UDoWhat]

I'd think they'd try to get her on building codes or something for the prerelease cages. I imagine there are some cities you can raise animals in but cannot build outdoor cages in.

I don't know the city laws in your city or the state laws but if the cages were "portable" and not permanent, you might get around building codes. Building codes are very specific. You can get a copy of those codes. Again, do not know for your city and state. These people just need to know how important your service is for the community. Praying for your friend.:Love_Icon

[Daisey007]

Perhaps she can site ALLLL the other cities across American that TEND TO THEIR OWN BUSINESS and actually APPRECIATE the work that rehabbers selflessly do WITHOUT requesting a single penny from anyone and that includes the CITY. Tell her to focus on the fact that it isn't a financial burden to either the city or the state. Also, if she owns her own home she should mention the fact that it's being done on private property, therefore she pays the city property taxes. Even if she's renting, as long as she has permission from the owner it's still on private property (just not hers). AGAIN mention that she hasn't requested financial support from the city. It's usually all about how much something costs the government. I believe that she has the legal right to do what's she's doing since she does have a state license, however unfortunately we often have to fight for our rights. You have nosey individuals that have clout with city officials and they push an issue that causes law abiding citizens to have to defend their rights... and regrettably that means hiring their own attorney to stand up for and take back that individuals rights. Has this person even spoken to an attorney? Sometimes just a consult with an attorney can be a game changer. Perhaps you can get an attorney to simply write a letter on your behalf stating your rights (in this case to the city), and this lets them know that you have legal representation, and they will frequently rethink their attempt to do you harm. If she truly wants to maintain her right to rehab then she should at the very least consult an attorney because she's meeting with people who have EVERY intention of taking that right away if they can get away with it regardless of any and all good she's done.

[Daisey007]

:goodpost
Please check what other licensed rehabilitators in your state are doing. Are they rehabbing in their homes? If her license says she can rehab in her home facility, like my MD State license says, then they cannot make her stop rehabbing in her home. We had a case in MD that the city council tried to shut down one of our rehabbers but because she does not release on her property (she does use her outdoor cages to acclimate her babies) the city was not able to do anything about what she does inside her own home and on her property. She may have to stop releasing on her property but the city CANNOT tell her what she can do in her own home. As IR said, she should make that case in a very respectful and professional way . But also let the city know they have no business telling her what to do in her own home. How would they like it? She has rights. She needs to stand up if her license is in order. I would get a lawyer to accompany me to the meeting and call the local newspaper. The MD rehabber I mentioned, did have a lawyer that took her case for free. Do check her State license to see if it says she can rehab in her home. Check with other rehabbers in the state too. Good luck with this case. In MD the state did trump the city.


:goodpost EXCELLENT ADVICE!

[Mommaluvy]

Please check what other licensed rehabilitators in your state are doing. Are they rehabbing in their homes? If her license says she can rehab in her home facility, like my MD State license says, then they cannot make her stop rehabbing in her home. We had a case in MD that the city council tried to shut down one of our rehabbers but because she does not release on her property (she does use her outdoor cages to acclimate her babies) the city was not able to do anything about what she does inside her own home and on her property. She may have to stop releasing on her property but the city CANNOT tell her what she can do in her own home. As IR said, she should make that case in a very respectful and professional way . But also let the city know they have no business telling her what to do in her own home. How would they like it? She has rights. She needs to stand up if her license is in order. I would get a lawyer to accompany me to the meeting and call the local newspaper. The MD rehabber I mentioned, did have a lawyer that took her case for free. Do check her State license to see if it says she can rehab in her home. Check with other rehabbers in the state too. Good luck with this case. In MD the state did trump the city.


Ditto. My bird woman had a problem with her neighbors in an affluent city. They even called the health department on her.
She still rehabs. But no longer releases squirrels on her property. She did just birds and squirrels. She said the state allowed and the state trumped city, so even the health department backed off when they inspected. She was clean and her permits were in order.

[UDoWhat]

Ditto. My bird woman had a problem with her neighbors in an affluent city. They even called the health department on her.
She still rehabs. But no longer releases squirrels on her property. She did just birds and squirrels. She said the state allowed and the state trumped city, so even the health department backed off when they inspected. She was clean and her permits were in order.


Exactly!!!! The case I referred to in an earlier post, the county Animal Control was sent to her house to confiscate her animals but the Animal Control officers would not take her animals when she presented her State, Federal and Exhibitors permits to them. The Officers said the county or city did not have the right to take the animals due to the State and Federal permits and left without taking any animals from her. I hope this will be the case here.