A Dunnellon family is asking Marion County officials for permission to house four emotional support goats on their one-acre property to help with depression and anxiety.
Yuriel Perez and Emelina Rosell will present their request to the Marion County Board of County Commissioners during its next regular meeting on Tuesday, January 6.
According to county records, the property owners have submitted a reasonable accommodation application to allow for four goats on their residential property along SW 204th Avenue in Dunnellon. The home is located in an R-1 zoning classification.
During a site visit by the county, no noticeable odors, waste, or noise were observed and animal waste is properly collected and stored securely on the property.
In a letter to her neighbors, Rosell shared a little about the importance of her goats.
“My pets are my companion, as well as my emotional support. My pets play a crucial role in my everyday life. They are to me, irreplaceable,” said Rosell in the letter.
In a separate letter from Ascencion Medical Center, Rosell’s doctors explains that she has been “diagnosed with major depressive disorder” and that she suffers from “ongoing symptoms of depression and anxiety.” The letter suggests the conditions have a “significant impact” on her daily functioning and quality of life.
“As part of her treatment plan, it is medically recommended that she receive emotional support through the presence of animals,” reads the letter. “Specifically, the continued presence of four goats in her household has been shown to provide comfort, reduce anxiety, and alleviate symptoms of depression.”
Rosell’s doctor says the presence of the goats has a “positive impact on her mental health and overall well-being” and that it is strongly recommended that she “be permitted to keep the goats at her residence as part of her ongoing emotional and psychological support.”
The request comes just a few months after another resident asked the county for a similar request. In August, the county granted permission to that Silver Springs homeowner to keep a pot-bellied pig on her property, despite receiving a petition with 69 signatures in opposition to the request.
The Marion County Board of County Commissioners next meets on Tuesday, January 6, at 9 a.m. at the McPherson Governmental Complex (601 SE 25th Avenue).