Inverness County Commission Flustered When Citizen Brings Cat to Meeting
[Inverness, FL] – A routine county commission meeting opened with an unusually focused public comment when Elizabeth Sanderson addressed the shortage of reserved pickup-only parking at the city’s main grocery store. She noted that about 75% of the front parking spaces are currently set aside for online order pickups—spaces that often sit empty for much of the day—but argued that this allocation should be increased to 90% to meet what she called “a growing need in the community.”
The meeting quickly took an unexpected turn when the woman, who also spoke during the public comment portion, brought her cat into the chamber, claiming it was her emotional support animal. She insisted that the feline was necessary for her ability to participate in civic affairs.
One of the commissioners spoke up. “Ma’am, we understand you felt it was necessary to bring your cat, but this is official business. This is completely uncalled for.” The woman tried to explain her cat helped her focus, but the commissioners politely insisted she leave it outside.
The meeting seemed to settle into routine business—until attentive observers noticed an unexpected spectacle unfolding at the dais. One commissioner had a parrot perched proudly on her shoulder, squawking intermittently in support of her motions. Another commissioner was accompanied by a therapy dog, calmly lying at her feet and occasionally barking in apparent agreement. The third had a miniature horse, which quietly nuzzled the papers on his desk, while the fourth commissioner was flanked by a red panda, who genuinely seemed interested in being anywhere else.
Suddenly, the room’s strict rules regarding pets appeared inconsistent, and the entire chamber descended into hushed murmurs. Despite the commissioner menagerie, the visiting cat was still considered unacceptable. Witnesses reported that the woman’s brief protest—that her cat was equally capable of providing emotional support—was met with a wave of solemn head-shakes.
By the end of the meeting, all four commissioners reportedly felt deeply wounded, their dignity injured by what they described as an egregious breach of protocol. “We have devoted our lives to public service,” one commissioner lamented, “and yet someone would dare bring a cat into our chamber. It is an affront to everything we stand for.” The parrot squawked mournfully, the therapy dog whimpered, the miniature horse stomped its hoof, and the red panda appeared to wipe a tiny paw across its eyes in shared sorrow.
The citizen was escorted out, cat in carrier, leaving behind a room full of deeply hurt officials and an unusual mix of exotic companions silently contemplating the state of civics in Florida.