East Cobb man's bid for child's emotional support pony nixed Archives

An East Cobb father who had been keeping a Shetland pony in the yard of his rented home was denied a request this week to let it stay there.

The Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday voted to deny a request by Timothy Terranova to keep the 300-pound pony at a residence in the Heritage Glen Drive subdivision.

That’s because it violates the Cobb code mandating that livestock animals can be kept on properties of at least two acres. Terranova was seeking a waiver from that requirement.

The home where Terranova and his daughter live is at the end of a cul-de-sac on Heritage Glen Drive, on a lot that’s a half-acre.

Terranova said he got the animal, named “Dark Chocolate,” as an emotional support animal for his daughter after a divorce, when she was five, and while they were living elsewhere in Cobb County on a 10-acre lot.

The girl is now nearly 10, but Terranova, who has sole custody of her, said he “lost everything” in the divorce, and had to relocate.

He said at the zoning hearing Tuesday that the pony has helped his daughter reduce her anxiety over the situation. Dark Chocolate is registered as an emotional support animal, he said, adding that he built a stable and fencing on the property for the pony, which neighbors said he also walks around the neighborhood.

Neighbors contacted Cobb Code Enforcement, which issued citations in October for that and other issues on the property, including scattered debris.

And the East Cobb Civic Association led the objections at the hearing. President Richard Grome said allowing a pony on a lot less than two acres at a home zoned for single-family residential would set “a far-reaching precedent.”

He said there are several boarding and riding stables in East Cobb, including the nearby Sunnybrook Stables off Roswell Road.

A Heritage Glen neighbor, Michele Smith, said she was concerned about the welfare of the animal, saying that Terranova shoots off fireworks on his property.

The Cobb Zoning Division recommended denial of the request, for the lot-size minimum and because the home is located in an area close to other neighborhoods.

When Commissioner JoAnn Birrell asked Terranova if he knew he was improperly keeping the pony, Terranova said he didn’t think so, because he was looking for a home to rent near his daughter’s school and that “had a lot large enough for the pony.”

He said that after living in apartments, he moved to East Cobb and wanted to provide “something joyful to be around” that “my daughter and I can look forward to each day.”

Birrell said “this would set a precedent for others” and made a motion to deny the request, which passed 5-0.

“It’s really not appropriate” to have a pony in such a setting, she said. Terranova will have 90 days to relocate the animal.

“I commend your consideration of your daughter during a very difficult time,” Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid told Terranova.

“A lot parents like myself would see this as an heroic effort to meet the needs of your daughter.”

However, she said, the code issues are significant, and what Cobb allows for livestock animals is similar to other jurisdictions in metro Atlanta.