A New Brunswick couple isn’t kidding around when it comes to a bylaw dispute with the town they live in after being told they need to get rid of their pet goats.

Four-month-old goats Nelly and Harvey are at the centre of the conflict between the Town of Rothesay and their owners, who are refusing to remove the animals.

“We’ve gotten pretty attached to them,” owner Andrew Brooks told CTV Atlantic. “They’re part of the family now.”

Bylaw enforcement issued an order to the couple back in August, stating they needed to remove goats by Sept. 17.

An anonymous complaint tipped officials off to the pets, which violate Rothesay’s zoning bylaw. According to the statute, only domestic animals like dogs and cats, or exotic animals weighing less than 50 kg can be kept in a residential zone.

“I don’t see the issue with it,” Brooks said. “They’re not hurting anyone. They’re not bothering anyone.”

“And they keep my lawn pretty tidy.”

The couple has circulated a petition to neighbours seeking support to keep their goats. So far, they have more than 130 signatures.

“It doesn’t surprise me that the Town of Rothesay would want the goats gone,” said neighbor Edgar Holloway. “When I first heard them, I said they won’t be long, someone would complain.”

Rothesay Mayor Nancy Grant told CTV Atlantic that the town’s primary concerns are the health issues that come with keeping livestock animals in a domestic area, as well as minor management, noise, and nuisance concerns.

The owners, as stubborn as their pets, haven’t taken the ruling sitting down.

They say that they have no plan to get rid of their goats, and won’t be moving away either.

With a report from CTV Atlantic’s Laura Lyall