With a tiny lamb at his side, an Edmonton man is hoping the public will flock to his cause in a municipal dispute that could see the city force him to get rid of the 50 sheep in his care.
David Koch was in downtown Edmonton with one of his youngest lambs, Bambi, for an impromptu petting session with members of the public as he aims to sway city councillors to allow him to keep sheep on his 3.5-acre property, in southeast Edmonton.
"I'm hoping a little bit of publicity will help my case," Koch told CTV Edmonton on Wednesday.
After nearly 20 years of tending his flock, Koch says he was surprised and upset when a bylaw officer recently hit him with a fine for keeping livestock on a residential property within the city limits.
Now, Koch is fighting to win support for his sheep ahead of a visit from animal control next week. He's out campaigning hard for his woolly companions, handing out "Save the Sheep" T-shirts and making public appearances with his adorable sidekick, Bambi the lamb.
"This is a tourist attraction people love," Koch said.
But some city councillors don't see it that way.
"The bylaws are there for good reason, so we can't ignore them once we know about them," Coun. Ben Henderson said.
Coun. Scott McKeen added that he doesn't take the situation lightly. "Decisions we make impact people's lives. We take no joy in this," he said. "It can be heartbreaking, some of the decisions you make and the impact they have on people."
Koch says he's going to hold out hope that Bambi the lamb will encourage the city to leave his flock in peace.
With files from CTV Edmonton
