By CASEY NEILL
BAA the sheep’s supporters are urging City of Greater Dandenong to let Vu Ho keep the pet at his Springvale home.
The Star reported last week that the Vietnamese refugee had vowed to take his fight to the High Court, after the Court of Appeal on 26 June upheld the council’s order to find Baa a new home.
At their Monday night meeting councillors received a petition with 651 signatures through website Change.org and a further 27 emails asking that Mr Ho be allowed to keep his sheep.
They did not meet stringent council petition guidelines but each submission was noted and forwarded to the relevant council business unit for consideration.
City of Greater Dandenong mayor Angela Long said Baa’s plight came to the council’s attention in 2007 following “complaints from neighbours and other residents regarding the welfare of the sheep”.
Two years ago it fined Mr Ho $225 and ordered him to remove the sheep from his property because local laws prohibited livestock on less than half an acre.
But he’s since fought through the courts to keep his pet of 12 years and been ordered to pay the council’s legal costs, which CEO John Bennie said were $80,000 to date.
Cr Long said ratepayers should not bear the cost of responding to an “entirely unnecessary and unwarranted” court matter.
“Council did not initiate any legal action, we have simply responded to community concern about a sheep, issued a compliance notice, and issued a fine which was subsequently withdrawn,” she said.
“Council will continue to seek to get the best outcome for Baa the sheep.”
