Vancouver City’s parks board is suing Langley hobby farmer Trevor French for breaching an adoption agreement he had to take in the Stanley Park petting zoo goats and sheep last year.
The City says that on Jan. 31, 2011, French signed an agreement with the City promising to look after the 17 goats and four sheep he adopted from the petting zoo for the rest of their natural lives.
Vancouver City claims French sold all but one of the goats and sheep at the Fraser Valley Auction on 56 Avenue. By earlier this year, only one female goat remained on his property.
The parks board confirmed to The Times that it is suing French and that it has retrieved the last remaining goat, Trika, from French. She was kept at the Stanley Park back stables before being brought to a farm in Chilliwack.
It was back in February that the City was made aware of what happened to their goats and sheep.
At the time parks board chair Constance Barnes made a statement about what actions the City would take against French.
“I was very distressed to learn of the alleged mistreatment of several goats and sheep adopted out to a local farm. . . . I have also directed our city solicitor to take aggressive legal action under the comprehensive adoption agreement signed by this farm owner at the time of adoption,” said Barnes in a press release.
“News of the alleged violations of one of the adoption agreements signed with the park board for the animals at the farm is extremely distressing.
Park board staff undertook a comprehensive process to find appropriate locations for the animals.”