Hyrum
family would rather move rather than give up dogs
| By Emma
Tippetts
February 8, 2005 | HYRUM -- The
eight members of the Garner family try to go about
their daily business of feeding the birds, and
learning to yo-yo, while knowing two members of
their family have to leave -- or the whole family
has to.
Laurie Garner's house is nestled between a pasture
containing numerous buffalo, peacocks and a miniature
horse while a large dairy farm sits just across
the street. Her next-door neighbors have had wild
raccoons in their yard, and multiple cats wander
around the neighborhood. Despite these animals
surrounding her home, Garner is fighting to keep
her family intact, because four beloved members
of walk on four legs. Buddy, Sadie, Katie, and
Teddy each have a special place in the Garner
home and each is fighting to stay there.
"We can't imagine going without them," Garner
said.
Buddy, a mixed boxer-lab, will soon turn 2 years
old and belongs to Shannon, Garner's oldest daughter.
Garner said when Shannon learns to drive it will
be "her and Buddy, her friends will have to sit
in the back seat." Sadie is a black Lab and is
Garner's husband's hunting dog. Katie is a pit
bull-boxer mix and has been with Garner for years
and Teddy, a yellow lab, is a beloved friend to
Annie, the youngest of the Garners. |
GOOD DOG: Sadie,
a black Lab, means
the world to her family.
/ Photo by Emma Tippetts |
The dogs have never bitten or attacked anyone, they
are up to date on their shots, and they draw the attention
of neighbors nearby who just want to watch them play.
All four dogs are welcome into the Garners home, they
hop up on the couch to watch a new movie, they will
sit on your lap when you need a hug and they play with
each other around the kitchen and under the coffee table
during the day.
Last June, Garner said an animal control officer came
to her door and said her neighbors had complained about
her dogs, and when they saw she had four dogs in her
home, she was told two of her dogs would have to go.
Garner moved into her current home in 1998, and was
never informed of the regulations on animal rights.
Kirt Lindley, an animal control officer in Hyrum,
said real estate companies are not informing their clients
of the restrictions on animal rights before they move
in because they are being misinformed.
"Now I know, when you move into a town. You check
it out first." Garner said, "They didn't say one word
to me about dogs."
ANOTHER GOOD DOG:
Buddy has a appointment
with the front seat of a car. / Photo by Emma
Tippetts |
Lindley said they deal with about 20 cases a year of families having more
than two dogs. He said animal control usually
finds out about the dogs by driving by, finding
dogs that got loose, or neighbors calling.
"Sooner or later we will catch them, I can almost
guarantee it," Lindley said.
Hyrum's city animal ordinance states: "Anyone
owning, keeping or harboring three or more dogs
over the age of 6 months is required to obtain
a kennel license." Garner said although she was
not aware of this regulation, she conformed and
applied for a kennel license to comply with the
city ordinances. The city told her they no longer
gave out kennel licenses and would not allow her
to register her superfluous dogs. |
In January Garner said animal control showed up at
her door again, and gave her a ticket for having too
many dogs, and for having two of them not registered.
Garner said she went before the judge explaining her
predicament, only to be told there was nothing she could
do. Garner said she understood she had no choice, so
she planned to sell her house and build on her father-in-law's
farm.
In a letter to the editor, published in The Herald
Journal, Garner wrote, "This farm has been in the
family for more than 80 years and was once a dairy.
The dairy cows have been replaced with hobby cows. Well,
Hyrum city zoned this land as a manufacturing zone and
I was told houses can't be built on manufacturing zones."
"Now I'm back to square one," Garner said.
Emily Waechlter lives next door to Garner, she said
she built a step stool next to her fence just so she
could watch the Garner's dogs play in their back yard.
"That's how I get my fun," Waechlter said.
Waechlter has lived in Hyrum for over 30 years. In
the early 1990s, Waechlter's four dogs were noticed
by animal control, although her dogs were tied up and
not bothering anyone, Waechlter got a ticket and was
also told she needed a kennel license. Waechlter said
she complied and received her kennel license from the
city, and she has renewed her license every February
since then.
It wasn't until a few years ago, when Waechlter went
into renew her license, she was informed if she stopped
renewing her kennel license she wouldn't be able to
get another one because the city had stopped issuing
them. Waechlter said she now only has two dogs, and
has no need for a kennel license, so she offered her
license to Garner in order to help keep the Garner family
together. Garner said the city will not allow this transfer
to take place.
"Now I'm back to . . . I don't know," Garner said.
Waechlter said she also has two cats inside her house,
and at one point had 13 cats in her garage. Garner was
told by another resident that she had seven cats. Lindley
said there is currently a limited regulation of cats
in Hyrum. If a cat stray cat is found in Hyrum, the
cat is to be caught by the citizens that found it, and
then turned in to the city where it will get "fixed"
and let loose again. Lindley said the surrounding towns
that already have this policy in place say it helps
cut down the cat population. This is the first cat ordinance
Hyrum has ever had in place. It was put into effect
Feb. 1.
Garner said she is planning to get an attorney to
petition to make a change to at least allow citizens
to apply for kennel licenses.
"I can understand the people who live in a subdivision
who don't want somebody with 10 hound dogs in their
back yard barking all night," Garner said, "there are
a whole bunch of us in Hyrum who have more than two
dogs."
Garner said the judge has given her two weeks to prove
she is either moving from Hyrum or building on land
that is zoned for kennel licenses. She said her youngest
daughter recently told her, "I don't want to move, Mom.
I like this house. But I'd rather have the dogs."
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