The Bridgewater Board of Health opted not to pass a controversial animal regulation during a hotly contested public hearing Thursday night. The regulation can still be passed at a later date by the board, which vowed to work with newly formed Agricultural Commission and town manager before acting.

BRIDGEWATER — Showing strength in numbers and a unified opposition front, more than 150 members of the public loudly decried a Board of Health-proposed animal regulation Thursday night in Bridgewater.

And, for the time being, it worked.

The two present members of the three-person Board of Health decided not to pass a controversial regulation following a two-and-a-half hour public hearing at the Cole-Yeaton Senior Center, a meeting in which the public frequently booed, shouted over town officials and called for the Board of Health members’ resignations.

Resident George Rosenfield was the first to speak and his contentious remarks set the tone for the evening.

“It’s an embarrassment,” Rosenfield said to the board. “You ought to be ashamed of yourself.”

The regulation, which the board deemed necessary to protect public health, would require permits for residents wishing to keep an animal on any non-commercial property under two acres in size. Additionally, residents would be required to have an approved manure storage and disposal plan, and the animals cannot create a public nuisance with noise or odor.

The annual permit fee would be $25 per property and household pets are exempt from the regulation.

None of the nearly 30 residents that spoke to the Board of Health were in favor of the regulation.

Instead of passing the regulation, the Board of Health announced it would meet with Town Manager Michael Dutton and the newly formed Agricultural Commission before acting. Several residents and members of nearby towns’ agricultural commissions specifically requested that course of action.

Board of Health Chair Brian Penney was not present and member Ben Poinier did not speak during exchanges with the public.

So it was left to Sharland to communicate with the public, some of whom grew increasingly frustrated as they accused him of not answering questions directly.

Rosenfield publicly declared that Sharland was “talking like a dictator.”

Resident Patricia Neary implored the board to work with the newly formed agricultural commission before passing any regulation, a sentiment echoed by more than a half-dozen residents who made public comments.

“I don’t know why you would want to discourage backyard farming,” Neary said. “This appears to be a solution looking for a problem that doesn’t exist.”

But it’s not just backyard farming that the regulation will hurt, according to resident Al Rose. He said the local feed store where he works has seen a dip in sales that can be directly related to the proposed regulation.

“Just the mere mention of the regulation has already hurt business,” the longtime Bridgewater resident said. “We’ve had people back out of sales due to uncertainty.”

The regulation does not cover commercial animal and fowl operations. But several residents, including Stephen Rogan and Jo-Ann Corr, said the regulation would not allow them to continue as hobby farmers.

For the second time this week, the Board of Health was accused of not following state laws in regards to posting open meetings.

On Monday, Dutton told The Bridgewater Independent that the Board of Health’s posting about a June 2 meeting should have included possible action on the regulation. On Thursday, former town councilor Scott Pitta said the advertisement for the June 9 meeting included state law subsections that do not exist.

Laura Sapienza-Grabski, who sits on the Boxford Agriculture Commission and was appointed by Gov. Charlie Baker to the Massachusetts Board of Agriculture, said the board had the right to pass the regulation Thursday night and “nobody in this room can change that unless they vote you out of office” — to which someone in the audience shouted, “That’s coming!”

Board of Health members are appointed and not elected.

Sapienza-Grabski also advocated for House Bill 712, pending state legislation would require a town’s Board of Health to work with its Agricultural Commission before enacting regulations that would affect agricultural operations.

“I’m asking you to take a step back,” Sapienza-Grabski told the board. “I believe you have some things wrong.”