My name is Jeremy, and my wife Roxie and I have been proud residents of Belle Plaine for nearly five years. I grew up in small-town Indiana, and Roxie is from Elko New Market. When we were expecting our second child, we knew we wanted to raise our family in a small town—somewhere safe, welcoming, and rooted in community. Belle Plaine felt like the perfect place.

When we moved back in 2020, we brought with us our three beloved dogs—Wednesday, our Miniature Schnauzer; Orchid, our Maltese Shih Tzu; and Sumoa, our Teddy Bear Yorkie—all raised by us since they were puppies. Before the move, I researched Belle Plaine ordinances and found that we could have up to four dogs. What I didn’t realize at the time, was that I had read Belle Plaine Township ordinances—not the City’s.

Soon after moving, we fenced part of our half acre yard so the dogs could safely enjoy the outdoors. Now, Rather than enclosing our entire yard, we left open access to a hill behind our property, understanding how much local kids enjoy it for sledding in winter. Even though that land is technically ours and we would be legally within our rights to do so, we didn’t want to be the reason a childhood tradition disappeared or someone got hurt trying to use the hill in a tighter space. By doing this we also didn’t block off a pathway to neighbors that cut right through the middle of our backyard to dump their grass clippings during the summer in the wooded area, or ride their snowmobiles around to get to the farm fields in the winter. Things that stirs up our dogs but we let it go because again, we are trying to be good neighbors.

A few years ago, we lost Wednesday. In time, we decided to welcome another dog—this time, my lifelong dream: a Great Dane. That’s when Onyx joined our family at just eight weeks old. Her size and energy contrast hilariously with our smaller dogs—especially Orchid, who thinks she rules the house despite being the smallest.

Our dogs aren’t just pets—they’re deeply woven into our lives and our kids’ childhoods. They’re playmates, guardians, and companions.

About a month ago, we were visited by the police in response to an anonymous noise complaint. One of our dogs—Orchid—has a bark bigger than her bite. She barks at nearly everything, but we always try to bring her inside quickly when she starts. Our dogs are not left outside to bark excessively, and we do our best to be good neighbors.

During that visit, the officer also asked how many dogs we had. We answered honestly: three. We believed we were within the limit. That’s when we learned we were in violation of the City ordinance, which allows only two dogs per household and requires them to be registered. I went back to my research from before we moved and realized my mistake.

Soon after, we received a letter from the police department stating we had 30 days to rehome one of our dogs and be in compliance with the ordinance. That left us with two heartbreaking options: rehome a beloved member of our family, or move from the place we’ve come to love and call home.

Rehoming is simply not something we can bear. Our dogs are family. And the reality is, 3.3 million dogs are surrendered or abandoned each year in this country, and many never find new homes. We couldn’t make our dog part of that statistic. So, to comply with the ordinance, we immediately registered the two dogs still remaining in the house - Orchid and Sumoa - and temporarily sent Onyx to stay with my 85-year-old grandfather in Kentucky. He’s not a dog person, but he’s doing this for our family. Unfortunately, he won’t be able to keep caring for her much longer. It pains me to know that Onyx feels abandoned by the only family she’s ever known. Wondering why all of a sudden, out of nowhere she was driven 15 hours away to a place she’s never known with people she’s never known. It makes me feel like a failure because she has done nothing wrong other than being our families third dog.

We are actively trying to sell our home and find a new one that will legally allow us to reunite our family. We had a buyer that unfortunately pulled out at the last minute, sending us back to square one. Time is not on our side. Our oldest daughter is about to start kindergarten, and we’re hoping not to uproot her mid-year. Roxie and I both changed schools partway through school years growing up, and it’s not something we want for our kids if we can avoid it.

We are trying to get the city to reconsider and change the ordinance. We need $1000 to ask the city to even consider changing this ordinance and to expedite the process. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Hopefully we are able to get this done by Monday if we receive the generosity of others. Any extra would go towards travel expenses getting Onyx back and to donate towards animal causes.