Byrnes Mill resident Melissa Bedrosian may keep her miniature horse, Ginger, at least for now, City Administrator Adam Thompson said.
In early October, the city issued a citation to Bedrosian for allegedly violating an ordinance that prohibits residents from keeping “farm-related” animals in residential areas.
According to the ordinance, a maximum of five chickens but no other farm-related animals are allowed on residential lots smaller than 1 acre.
Bedrosian said the citation she received ultimately was dropped because it pertains to properties smaller than 1 acre, and her property on Franks Road, where Ginger is kept, is slightly larger than the 1-acre minimum.
Still, she said the city is making her run through hoops to prove she should be allowed to keep her horse.
“It’s harassment, especially when they know they’re writing me a citation that’s not going to fly, that is from false information,” Bedrosian said.
She also said Ginger, the 17-year-old miniature horse who lives in a small barn on her property, is a service animal and provides her emotional support and should be exempt from city ordinances.
Thompson said the citation against Bedrosian was issued because she could not provide the city with sufficient proof that her miniature horse is an emotional support animal deserving of a special variance.
He said Ginger is 38 inches tall, which is larger than what the Americans with Disabilities Act recognizes.
“The problem (Bedrosian) was having was that the Americans with Disabilities Act does not recognize a horse of that size as an emotional support animal or a service animal,” he said. “The ADA does recognize a miniature horse as a support animal, but only up to 36 inches. Her horse is taller than that.”
Bedrosian said when she appeared on Nov. 14 for her court hearing to challenge the citation, Thompson stopped her before she reached the courtroom or the judge.
“The administrator, Adam Thompson, called me into his office and said, ‘We wrote you the wrong citation.’” Bedrosian said. “(He said), ‘We’re going to be out to your house to inspect the property and to see if you’re in violation of a different ordinance.’ They sent me home, saying I didn’t need to be there.”
While Bedrosian gets to keep Ginger for now, Thompson said the city could take action to remove the horse in the future or to prevent situations like this from happening again.
“Right now, we’re just re-evaluating the situation,” Thompson said. “We’re reviewing our ordinances to make sure they’re in line with what needs to be good for the citizens of the city.”
Bedrosian said the citation was the culmination of a monthslong saga with her neighbor, Mary Ann Hedrick, who works for the city and, according to the Byrnes Mill website, is the city’s permit coordinator.
Bedrosian said Hedrick filed a complaint with the city about her horse in January.
Thompson confirmed that Hedrick filed the complaint and that Hedrick’s husband, Larry Hedrick, holds a seat on the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission.
Bedrosian said her application for a special variance for Ginger has been denied due to Hedrick’s connection and influence on that commission.
“All the (planning and zoning) board does is make a recommendation to the Board (of Alderpersons),” Thompson said. “He (Larry Hedrick) was involved in the conversation (among commission members), but I can’t remember if he actually voted to do that (deny a special variance).”
According to Planning and Zoning Commission meeting minutes, Larry Hedrick made a motion at the April 17 meeting to table a discussion about Bedrosian’s horse, and he was absent from the May 22 meeting, when the commission voted to recommend that the Board of Alderpersons give Bedrosian 60 days to produce a service animal certification or relocate Ginger.
The commission voted 5-0 to send the recommendation to the Board of Alderpersons, with both Hedrick and Tom Sikorski absent for the vote. However, at the June 7 regular meeting, the board took no action based on the Planning and Zoning Commission’s recommendation, which means the city will follow the recommendation, Thompson said.
“(Hedrick) has had free access to those meetings where I was requesting a special permit or a variance, and (Larry Hedrick) was allowed to vote,” Bedrosian said. “He (Larry Hedrick) didn’t reveal the fact that there was a personal interest in the matter. They are abusing their positions.”
Thompson said that, to his knowledge, no other complaints have been filed with the city against Bedrosian.
Mary Ann Hedrick could not be reached for comment.
Bedrosian said she’s lived on her property since 2002, and Ginger has lived there since 2011.
“The whole time I’ve been there, we’ve had horses, goats, chickens and ducks, and never did I have someone call and complain about my animals or what I was doing,” she said. “Before I even bought the property, I called up to City Hall to ask if there were any ordinances that would prevent me from having farm animals there. I was told then that there was not.”
Bedrosian said she spent 35 years working in law enforcement, which led to physical and emotional issues that created the need for her to have a service and emotional support animal. She said she experiences degenerative disc disease, muscle weakness, and mobility and balance issues. Bedrosian said she retired in 2019.
“I’ve got severe anxiety, severe PTSD and depression,” Bedrosian said. “The conditions are a direct result of having that type of career. It’s taken me three years of being heavily medicated and doing all of these therapies, and with all the medicine in the world I’ve taken, I have not gotten the results that I get from my animal. (She’s) helping me with my disability and I’m a lot happier. I’m able to get out and get exercise, which is helping me with my mobility and balance issues, and my respiratory system.”
Bedrosian said she wouldn’t know what to do if the city ultimately decides she can’t keep Ginger.
“I wouldn’t give her away because I’ve had her for so long,” Bedrosian said. “It’s causing me a lot of emotional distress, and that’s part of my disability, too. They’re just making it worse.”