A father’s effort to give his daughter comfort after a painful divorce has run into county code — and now the family’s Shetland pony must go.
Why It Matters: Cobb County’s decision affects a child who relies on her emotional support animal, but it also raises questions about where the line is between compassion and county laws.
What’s Happening: Cobb County commissioners voted 5-0 Tuesday to deny Timothy Terranova’s request to keep a 300-pound Shetland pony named Dark Chocolate at his half-acre rental home in the Heritage Glen Drive subdivision in East Cobb. Terranova now has 90 days to move the animal.
- County code requires at least two acres to keep livestock — four times the size of Terranova’s lot.
- Cobb’s zoning staff recommended denial, citing both the lot size and the home’s proximity to other neighborhoods.
Between the Lines: Terranova got Dark Chocolate as an emotional support animal for his daughter — who was 5 at the time — following a divorce. He said he lost nearly everything in the split, including a 10-acre property where the pony previously lived. His daughter is now nearly 10, and he said the pony has helped ease her anxiety.
Catch Up Quick: Neighbors called Cobb County code enforcement, which issued citations in October for the pony and other property issues, including scattered debris. The East Cobb Civic Association formally opposed the waiver request at Tuesday’s hearing, warning it would set a broad precedent for other residents seeking similar exceptions.
The Big Picture: Emotional support animals occupy a complicated legal and regulatory space. Unlike service animals, they are not granted the same federal protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act, which means local zoning codes can — and often do — override their presence. Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid acknowledged Terranova’s effort as a parent while noting the county’s livestock rules mirror those of other metro Atlanta jurisdictions, suggesting this is less an outlier policy and more a regional standard that families in similar situations are likely to encounter elsewhere.
