Happy Pants Ranch: Sittingbourne animal charity faces fine 'over noisy geese'

An animal rescue centre faces a £2,500 fine if it cannot silence its "unreasonably" noisy geese, the owner says.

The Happy Pants Ranch in Kent, which cares for 350 rescued or special-needs animals, has been bombarded with complaints in recent months.

Owner Amey James was told she would be fined if the animals - specifically the geese and cockerels - were not hushed.

Swale Borough Council said it had "a duty to investigate complaints".

The animal sanctuary relocated to a 20-acre former farm off Iwade Road, Sittingbourne, over Christmas.

A team of volunteers cleared overgrown land to make it safe for the animals, which include ponies, cows, emus, reptiles and guinea pigs.

A warning letter from Swale council accused the charity of "behaving in an anti-social manner".

It ordered it to stop the animals making "an unreasonable level of noise" because it had a "detrimental effect" on people nearby.

Miss James said the council officer who issued the letter said the noise complaint related specifically to the geese and cockerels.

The 36-year-old added: "Being accused of anti-social behaviour is unbelievable.

"We're trying to do good things here for the animals, and for the local community. People love visiting, and the mental health benefits for them and our volunteers is huge.

"How can animal noises in the countryside cause such offence, and what is an 'unreasonable' level?"

Miss James said the charity has faced a constant stream of unsubstantiated complaints.

Grievances included "nuisance" bonfires, importing waste, a loud generator and tractor noise.

Miss James said the bonfires were at least 200m away from the closest neighbour. She also denies bringing in waste, and said the generator was a quiet model inside a sound-proofed shed.

"This is making me ill with stress," Miss James said.

"Every other week another official will turn up, and I think 'oh God no, what malicious thing have they come up with now?'

"I feel harassed, like it's a vendetta."

Swale council added in statement: "When we receive a complaint, we always try to work with all those involved to resolve incidents in an amicable manner.

"In most cases this prevents the need to take formal enforcement action."

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