Jackie Chan the ram is officially on notice.
The future of the 10 year-old merino at the centre of a long-running dispute between the ram’s owner, Godwin Aquilina, his neighbours and Moorabool council will be decided at a meeting next month.
Several reports of the ram charging nearby residents were brought to council in 2013.
A permit to keep the ram was later issued on condition that Jackie Chan was contained in a pen on Mr Aquilina’s Love Close property. Mr Aquilina believed the permit did not have an expiry date.
Residents claim Jackie Chan was off the property earlier this month, and raised the issue in public question time at the April 6 council meeting.
The council has since advised Mr Aquilina that an application for a renewed permit will be discussed on May 4.
Council growth and development manager Satwinder Sandhu said Jackie Chan is on notice.
“Mr Aquilina was advised to contain his ram to his premises while the application was being processed, and that council would be serving a notice to comply to this,” he said. “He was advised that, should the ram be found outside of his property during this time, council officers would impound the animal.”
Mr Sandhu invited Mr Aquilina to make a submission at the meeting, but Mr Aquilina says he still feels bullied.
“I’d call this entrapment,” he said. “Jackie Chan is a registered animal, so how can they not let me walk a registered animal?”
