Massachusetts Woman Fights City Order to Remove Her Miniature Therapy Horse After Building $100K Shelter

Judy Hinchey of Newton, Massachusetts, is battling a city order to remove her miniature therapy horse, Clover, after municipal officials denied a license for the animal — even though Hinchey spent roughly $100,000 building a dedicated shelter on her property.

Owner Says She Followed The Rules

Hinchey said she believed she had complied with local regulations and even quit her job so she could work from home and take Clover on therapy visits to hospitals, nursing homes and centers for children with autism. She shared her account on Facebook on September 29, saying she had improved her yard to provide a safe, comfortable home for the animal and that many neighbors were "smitten" with Clover.

"I followed the rules as I interpreted them, fixed my yard to make a nice home for my miniature therapy horse. I quit my job so I could work from home and take Clover to therapy outings in hospitals, nursing homes, centers for kids with autism and any other place where a calm, well trained, very friendly miniature horse could provide comfort, care, joy and happiness to people."

City Says Regulations Classify All Horses As Large Animals

Documents reviewed by People show Newton's regulations expressly identify "horses" as Large Animals and contain no size-based exceptions. City officials reportedly denied Hinchey's application without first inspecting the newly built shelter, citing the regulation's plain language: a miniature horse is treated as a horse for the purposes of the rules.

GoFundMe

Clover is listed as 28.5 inches tall and approximately 165 pounds — closer in size to a large dog breed like a Great Dane or Saint Bernard than to a typical full-size horse. Despite Clover's small stature and trained temperament, the city maintains the letter of its ordinance applies.

Legal Appeal And Fundraising

Hinchey has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for legal fees as she prepares to appeal the city's decision. In her fundraising description she emphasized Clover's value to the community: "Clover is a great addition to the city and all the surrounding facilities [where] her proven good nature, calm behavior and friendliness can be beneficial to all."

The dispute highlights a broader tension between municipal animal-control codes written with traditional livestock in mind and the growing use of nontraditional animals as therapy or assistance animals. Hinchey is pursuing legal avenues to keep Clover at her home and maintain the therapy visits she organized for local facilities.