A couple who live in an unincorporated area near Claremont and have at least 10 goats, two horses, a llama and an emu will be allowed to keep their animals, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors decided Tuesday.
Roberto Alguero and Iris Fiorito live on a three-quarter-acre parcel at 490 Smoketree Drive in an area zoned for light agricultural use.
They originally asked the county's Regional Planning Commission for the right to keep 15 goats. The commission issued a permit, but limited the number of goats to 10, in addition to the couple's menagerie of other animals.
Neighbors filed objections, saying the property was noisy, smelly and looked more like a livestock farm than a single-family home.
After hearing from concerned residents, Supervisor Michael Antonovich suggested new conditions to the permit, including the construction of a six-foot wall and the segregation of male and female goats. With those changes, the board approved the couple's permit.
"We know we have a few more goats than we should," said Iris Fiorito, but "we didn't hide the animals" from anyone considering a move to the area.
A teacher at Pasadena City College, Fiorito said she loves animals and works "two more jobs to keep these animals and to feed them."
