The wrong foot

Karlan Bielamowicz gives her donkey, Nemo, some iced tea. The city will begin enforcing an ordinance that makes it unlawful to keep any hoofed animal inside the city limits. Democrat photo/Tony Marquis

City to enforce ordinance that outlaws hoofed animals in town

By Tony Marquis, Editor

Nemo Bielamowicz loves the outdoors.

She often stands outside of Boss Hog's Bar-B-Que & Burgers restaurant drinking tea, greeting families who make their way over to the eatery on Live Oak Street.

Nemo has lived in Marlin for seven years - but now the city is telling her she has to go.

Karlan Bielamowicz is the owner of Nemo, a 7-year-old donkey that lives in a pen near the back of property.

Starting May 12, animal control officers will issue warnings to residents who keep hoofed animals inside the city limits, telling them to move the animals to a home outside the city within 30 days.

The city - which has begun cleaning up houses and junked vehicles in the area - said getting rid of town livestock is an important step in for the growth of the city.

But the goats, pigs, cows and horses owners in Marlin disagree.

"It's just foolish - animals have been in this town always," Karlan said.

Butt-Butt the goat

Billy Rogers keeps Butt-Butt on a long rope, so the 3-year-old black goat can roam his yard on 210 Fortune and the neighboring lot.

Rogers counts on Butt-Butt to eat most of the lawn, saving Rogers the work to mow and maintain the property.

Aware of the impending citation, Rogers plans to take the goat up to his son's ranch where it can hang out with Rogers' grandsons, but he's not too excited about having to move Butt-Butt.

"I think it's a really stupid idea," said Rogers, who works at the Hobby Unit. "This ain't Dallas, by no means."

Had Rogers decided to keep Butt-Butt on the property, animal control would make attempts to employ a contractor to remove the animal, then charge the owner the collection fees.

After that, it's possible the animal could be sold at auction.

Strays now, pay later

In April, police officers, animal control and Sheriff's deputies spent about two hours trying to corral and catch a couple of stray horses.

The horses had come close to running down Live Oak Street before they were caught behind the Booker T. Washington Alumni Center.

Animal Control Officer Terence McDavid said stray animals are a danger to the people of Marlin, especially on the streets.

"That's a lot of damage to a car," said McDavid of a possible car-horse accident. "A lot of damage to a horse."

The city is also concerned about possible nuisances from the smell of the livestock - something they've already received complaints from residents.

"You know out there in the rural areas, in the county, there are no rules like that," interim City Manager Gordon Piercce said. "But I don't know of any city that does not have something that is very similar to our ordinance."

'I'm not going to move her'

Karlan said children regularly stop by Boss Hog's just to meet the tan-colored equine.

None of Karlan's neighbors have said anything about Nemo.

Karlan got attached to Nemo when, as a foal, Nemo got very sick and Karlan had to carry her to a veterinarian.

For the past seven years, Karlan has looked out for Nemo.

According to Karlan, the city and her have been in a long legal battle over keeping Nemo in the city limits.

The ordinance was revised in 2005, but there was no grandfather clause, so every hoofed animal in Marlin, no matter what age, will need to be relocated.

"I don't care what they do, I'm not going to move her," Karlan said.