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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Herb Rothschild: The year in review ... Guest Opinion: Gateway art process failed ... International Peace Day: Ashland Culture of Peace event Monday ... Herb Rothschild: The year in review ... Guest Opinion: Gateway art process failed ... International Peace Day: Ashland Culture of Peace event Monday ... OUR VIEW Our View: Herd on the street Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Sep. 3, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Sep. 3, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Ashland prides itself on its tolerance for those out of the mainstream in dress, behavior and beliefs, and that's a good thing — to a point. A local man who fancies himself an urban shepherd went beyond that point, and now he's facing the consequences. Aaron Fletcher has been a local fixture for some time as he strolls through town accompanied by goats or, more recently, sheep. This is not necessarily a problem, but sheep and goats, being animals, do produce waste that must be disposed of. After receiving complaints that Fletcher was hanging out in town and disposing of his sheep's feces improperly, police cited him for violating Ashland's Keeping of Animals ordinance. He was found guilty in municipal court and fined. He faces a second trial next week for keeping animals improperly and for "Scattering Rubbish" — to wit, sheep droppings. Tolerance is a wonderful thing, but there are reasons why livestock are not generally found in urban environments. Fletcher seems to think he should be able to wander the streets with farm animals without worrying about what they leave behind. If dog owners can be cited for not picking up after their pets, surely "urban shepherds" should be held to the same standard. Fletcher needs to obey the law and clean up after his charges. If he's unwilling to do that, he'll need to figure out a way to pay the fines that will continue to come his way, or find a new home for his animals. DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Sep. 3, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501