When Venus Bontadelli and her husband moved to Powell, Wyoming, to be closer to family, they also hoped to find a reprieve from the "increasingly illiberal and imperious state of politics in California." But it seems this Wyoming town—with a population of roughly 6,500—isn't as "live and let live" as she hoped, but rather "exercise[s] shockingly broad power over the lives and property of citizens."
In December 2024, the family was gifted a baby Nigerian pygmy teacup dwarf goat—an increasingly popular choice of pet in the United States—named Porsche Lane. Porsche lived peacefully at the family's home until May 2025, when a Powell police officer arrived at Bontadelli's door to tell her that someone had complained about the then 10-pound, indoor-kept goat. The officer informed Bontadelli that she could keep Porsche, but only if she obtained an exotic pet permit. Since this encounter, the city has repeatedly and arbitrarily denied Bontadelli's permit, and Porsche has had to be removed from her family. Now Bontadelli is suing to bring the goat home and protect her and her family's right to due process of law.
