Urban Sheepherder Must Move His Flock

A San Pedro developer was found guilty Tuesday of keeping a flock of eight sheep too close to an apartment building in violation of city animal control laws.

Acting as his own attorney, Arthur Corona argued before a jury that the sheep, which grazed within 75 feet of a 107-unit apartment complex he owns, were harmless and economical gardeners. The Los Angeles municipal code requires that sheep be kept at least 75 feet from dwellings.

Corona had kept the flock in a fenced-in area of the three-acre parcel at Pacific Avenue and 24th Street since 1982, but was cited by the city Department of Animal Regulation in May.

The misdemeanor charge carries a maximum six-month jail sentence and $1,000 fine. After the verdict, Corona told San Pedro Municipal Court Judge Roy S. Ferkich that he would move the sheep today to a farm in Chino.