The state has bad news for the 75 percent of Bristol voters who rejected a ballot question to allow “any wolf hybrid kennel or… refuge” in a July 20 referendum.
According to a letter to Town Administrator Kristine Poland from Norma J. Worley, Director of the Animal Welfare Program for the Department of Agriculture, “If the Town does not show cause why an animal shelter is prohibited to exist on this property I cannot justify the denial of the requested license as long as the planned animal shelter meets current statute and rules requirements.”
Worley acknowledged the opposition to the facility. The town, she wrote, must notify the Animal Welfare Program by Sept. 15 if Bristol “currently has a land-use issue, zoning issue or any other legal position that would prohibit locating a state licensed animal shelter on the Doughty’s property…”
Residents, including Jim and Karen Doughty, who applied for the license and plan to operate Wolf Ledge Refuge on their nine-acre Crooker Road property, discussed the issue at the Wednesday, Sept. 9 meeting of the Bristol Board of Selectmen.
The opposition, including Carmen Salerno, a neighbor of Doughty’s, questioned Poland, the selectmen and Animal Control Officer Candi Wall about the town’s options.
“How do we put this ordinance that we voted on into place?” Stacey Simmons asked.
Wall said wolf hybrids fall into a legal and zoological gray area. “Right now, they’re not recognized as a breed,” she said. “It’s still considered a species… but it’s not really classified there, either.”
Poland has said the town cannot legally bar a refuge for a specific breed. The town could ban all kennels in the town, or a specific part of the town, she said, but even if they did, that wouldn’t apply to Doughty because he already applied for a permit.
Doughty said the state already inspected his property. “They have no problems,” he said.
Salerno asked about her legal options if one of the animals escaped and came onto her property. “Am I going to be in trouble if I shoot them?” she asked.
In a Friday, Sept. 10 phone interview, Poland said a shooting would “involve the sheriff,” not the town.
Wall said Doughty would be required to insure the refuge against any damage the animals could cause. Another woman asked if the state would “do something” if the animals’ howling is a continuous problem. Wall said she didn’t know.
Doughty defended his plans vigorously, leading to a tense exchange between Doughty and Salerno. “I have complied with everything the state has asked and the town,” Doughty said. “There’s nothing anybody can do.” Doughty said the refuge would be an “up to par, educational place for everybody.”
“Aren’t you concerned about your health? The health of your grandchildren?” Salerno asked. Salerno said Doughty lacks the knowledge and the training to safely operate the refuge.
“I plan on doing this right. Safely,” Doughty said. Doughty and his wife, Karen, plan to take the Dept. of Agriculture class for animal control officers as well as an animal rescue course, he said. “What education would you like me to have?” he asked.
“I feel really bad for you, Jim,” Salerno said. “I hope you’re very happy for yourself.”
Salerno said that, by opening the refuge, Doughty would endanger neighborhood children and “disrupt” their lives. “It’s very sad,” she said.
Salerno told selectmen that Doughty has already shown a willingness to flaunt town and state rules by doing “a lot of cutting by wetlands.”
In a Sept. 9 phone interview, Doughty called the wetlands issue a “misunderstanding” between himself and the town. “The town and I already dealt with that,” he said. Doughty said the issue was “irrelevant” to discussion of the proposed refuge.
Poland referred questions on the matter to Bristol Code Enforcement Officer Merle West.
“There’s no zoning in the town of Bristol that says [Doughty] can’t have this kennel,” Chairman Robert Tibbetts said. “I would not pin my hopes on a lot of changes.”
