ADAMS TOWNSHIP, Pa. — People packed a Butler County meeting Monday night hoping to come up with a plan to stop cattle roaming a suburban neighborhood and damaging property after escaping a nearby farm.
Residents were eager to see if a proposed ordinance designed to curtail nuisance animals would pass. The Board of Supervisors drafted the ordinance after it and the police department started seeing an uptick in calls for nuisance animal complaints.
It was a unanimous “no” from all of the Adams Township Board of Supervisors after the meeting. Nearly 30 people signed up to speak about the proposed ordinance that many residents argued would only create more issues.
>> Herd of loose cows causing havoc in local neighborhood
Some Adams Township neighbors say the issue has gotten out of control with loose and hungry cows wandering into their yards, causing thousands of dollars worth of damage. Last week neighbors showed Channel 11 massive piles of manure, eaten shrubbery and huge divots in the yard where the cows dig into the ground. Still, that homeowner was at Monday’s meeting to describe her situation but also said she doesn’t support the proposed ordinance.
The cows who are repeatedly getting loose, reportedly belong to an elderly farmer who lives a few miles from the new plan of homes. These community members, most of whom are farmers, say they’re happy to help in order to thwart the owner’s possibility of being fined. After hearing the community pleas, the board took a five-minute recess before coming back with the news that the ordinance wouldn’t pass.
“I believe there were a lot of good points made here tonight. I believe a lot of those points change decisions in regards to the supervisors and that’s why we wanted to take a brief recess to go back and talk about it and make sure we got it right,” Russ Ford, president of the Adams Township Board of Supervisors, said.
It’s a decision that came with cheers from a community that is proud of its rural roots.
“It’s definitely a big relief I get to continue the rest of my days with my animals that I enjoy so very much and not having to worry about a fine or any negative feedback from our community,” Butler County Dairy Princess Daisy Snow said.
During the meeting, many farmers spoke about specific state statutes that can help. The township says it plans to use existing laws to address the ongoing issue of the wandering cows.
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