In a dispute that began when Powell, Wyoming denied Venus Bontadelli a permit to keep her 20‑pound pygmy goat, Porsche Lane, the resident filed a due‑process lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming on 12 November 2025.
Bontadelli says the goat, given to her teenage daughter as a graduation gift, has lived in the family home for two years as a companion, not a livestock animal.
Pacific Legal Foundation argued that the city’s ordinance, which classifies goats as livestock, lacked clear standards and allowed arbitrary denial of permits, violating the Fifth Amendment.
City officials cited public‑health concerns and potential neighborhood disruption as reasons for the denial, but the court found no basis to compel the city to include explicit criteria.
Settlement reached on 15 January 2026 allowed the goat to be returned to Bontadelli’s home, with the city agreeing to revise its permit process, while the court declined to rule on the constitutional claims.
The goat, now back on a Powell lawn, remains a symbol of the tension between local regulation and individual rights, and the settlement may prompt other municipalities to clarify their animal‑permit rules.