A Pennsylvania family loves their 15 outdoor pets, even if they are a little unorthodox. But now, due to zoning regulations, the Lundeen family may have to give up their beloved sheep named Kabob and all of the other adopted animals on their Upper Moreland farm.
"Kabob’s our pet. He’s our family. We would sooner move than give him up," said Chris Lundeen who has lived at the farm with his wife Cindy since 2007.
The sheep is known to ride around town in the Lundeen's family car. He has his own Facebook page and is the center of several events around the town and farm throughout the year.
The family attended a hearing Thursday night, almost two months after officials began pushing the zoning ordinances, to determine the final outcome of the sheep’s residence. Kabob’s Facebook updated with a short post that suggests optimism on the farm.
"Too tired for the full update, but we think the hearing went well," reads the Facebook post. "We will probably not know the outcome until January but we left feeling positive. Thank you to all that came!"
"They are very nice people. We found out about it and had to act on it," said Paul Purtell, director of the Upper Moreland zoning officer. "We’ve had people with chickens that wanted to keep chickens, and appeared before zoning. They received approval. This is my first sheep and goat."
The family bought the historic space with the intentions of converting it back to a farm — and the neighborhood has responded positively.
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"It's the loveliest little farm. Anyone is welcome day or night to enjoy these animals,” said Jackie Kelly, who has lived in the area for 22 years. “It’s so sad that someone is trying to take away something so beautiful in our area.”
The Lundeens will know the final decision on Kabob and his friends’ position at the farm, but the family is dedicated to keeping their outdoor pets.
Christopher Lundeen is an employee of Comcast, which is NBC10’s parent company.
