MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - You may have seen a fenced-in area driving down Okemos Road. But resident Mike McCurdy says the animals in the pen have really gotten the township's goat.

"We have been told we need to get rid of our goats because our current zoning is non-conforming," McCurdy said.

Township officials say there is a solution.

"We've more than encouraged the family to come in and get their property rezoned to RR-Rural Residential, which would allow them to maintain and house their goats," Township Manager Frank Walsh said.

But it comes with a cost.

"There's an $820 application fee, which is pretty steep for us," McCurdy said.

But Walsh said there is a way that they can raise the funds with the community's help.

"One of our board members had a great idea, which is to set up a GoFundMe account," Walsh said. "We've had a lot of people call and say they love the goats and it'd be a neat little community project."

McCurdy said it is basically a neighborhood petting zoo because people come down from the bike path to see the goats. He says this is an educational experience he does not want his children to miss out on.

"We've got a lot of kids coming by all the time who feed and pet the goats. And for a lot of them it's the only time they'll be able to see goats and interact with them," he said.

An informal court hearing regarding this matter is scheduled for Wednesday, August 19th.