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08/29/2023 10:53 AMAn ongoing zoning battle between a local wildlife rehabber and the town may be inching toward a mutual resolution. Last year, rehabber Eunice DeMond was forced to shut down her home raccoon rescue operation, Little Rascals Rescue, after complaints from neighbors. A new tentative deal would allow for the construction of a new shelter on town-owned property that would allow Demond to resume operations.
According to the involved parties, the plan would, at least temporarily, allow the DeMond to open an animal shelter on town property at the Public Works Department on Drive Way, near the Guilford train station.
Demond ran Little Rascals Rescue out of her home on Old Whitfield Street for more than a decade, caring for a wide array of native species, including raccoons, squirrels, possums, and rabbits, among others. Numerous individuals and organizations, including the Guilford Police Department and the State of Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), all used Demond’s organization for animal rehabilitation during her time in operation and attested to her dedication and response.
The issue came to a head in January 2021 when the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) issued a cease and desist notice to Demond after complaints by neighbors about the facility. Demond appealed that decision and subsequent rulings, but eventually, the town ruled last October that the zoning regulations concerning this type of use and activity made clear that Demond was not in compliance with the town’s ordinances and forced her to close the facility.
Since then, Demond has appealed the decision and also filed a lawsuit against the ZBA to keep her facility open and available. Those efforts did not succeed, and the suit was settled in the town’s favor this past February.
However, Demond said she is excited to be presented with this opportunity to restart operations and return to her passion for helping local wildlife. According to Demond, her sole goal is to spread compassion for injured or abandoned wildlife and strive toward release back into their native habitats.
“Housing orphaned wildlife until they’re old enough until they get back into the wild. I’ll handle any wildlife brought to me, but I do specialize in raccoons,” Demond said.
First Selectman Matt Hoey said the resolution, which is still being finalized, is one that the town hopes will settle the issue and allow Demond to continue her work while balancing public health and zoning mandates. According to Hoey, this is a plan that the town has proposed since the start of the dispute.
“We continue to have discussions with Eunice and town staff related to her proposed operation and structure while weighing that against the public safety, health, and zoning implications,” said Hoey. “We are discussing what we can do on the town property on Drive Way to see if she can return to operations. We were pleased to learn that after rejecting our initial suggestion of placing her facility on town property on Drive Way...[we’re] pleased we are having further discussions about this opportunity and finding a reasonable conversation.”
Hoey said that a fully enclosed structure is a stipulation for any proposed facility and stressed that no final deal has yet been reached, but an agreement in principle appears to have been reached.
Demond said she still has some lingering frustration with how the town dealt with her situation but reiterated her commitment to local wildlife, even though some issues still require negotiation.
“This was a deal that the first selectman had brought up and mentioned, even prior to the end of the case,” Demond said. “It is definitely a temporary resolution. It’s a three-year lease, and I am hoping to get that extended, but it really depends with what the town is doing with Public Works. If they are going to sell it or utilize it for something else once they move. It’s part of their 10-year plan. It seems like a great spot for the facility. I haven’t run this by Matt Hoey yet, but I hope one day to be able to purchase the property.”
Though some have described the matter as a disagreement with the town, Demond said it comes down to a simple dispute between neighbors.
“This really wasn’t a dispute with the town. It’s really more with my neighbor. He was the one who started all this,” said Demond. “Everything has been settled. I can’t have the wildlife here, so it’s been settled. To continue, I have to move the facility. But I am absolutely excited about this. I’m still getting some quotes on a number of items, including steel shipping containers, that will be my office, part of it for storage, and obviously for caging of the wildlife.”
Demond said she is still working on securing permits from the state, and neither party could provide a projection on when the facility might open. Still, Demond said she anticipated it would be sooner rather than later.
“I don’t have a date as of yet, but I’m hoping that within a couple of months, I’ll have everything in hand, and we can just rock and roll,” Demond said.
DeMond also has started a GoFundMe page, “Rebuild of the Rescue,” at bit.ly/3rRIepq, to help with expected expenses once the final go-ahead is given for the new site.