Llama at Center of Dispute Over Exotic Pets Has Died

Fantasia, the Simi Valley llama who started a “llama drama” packing hundreds of residents into Planning Commission and City Council meetings to debate whether to allow the exotic pets in their neighborhood, has died.

She was 2 years old, too young for a llama to die, said her owner, Charmaine Pelter. The cause was liver failure brought about by unknown circumstances, Pelter said.

Fantasia’s death saddened Pelter and was no cause for rejoicing even for the animal’s most bitter enemies, neighbors who had complained that Fantasia spit, smelled bad and scared their horses in Simi Valley’s Bridle Path neighborhood.

The llama died during the Fourth of July weekend, hours before she was to have paraded through the streets of Simi Valley to honor the country’s founding fathers.

“We were feeling pretty defeated after all the hassling we’ve been through,” Pelter said. “It just seemed as though we weren’t meant to have a llama.”

That’s the idea that some members of the Bridle Path Homeowners Assn. board of directors have been trying to get across for months now.

“I wouldn’t want any animal to die,” said Penny Wilson, who has opposed the llama in the community designed for horses. “But the llama is illegal. Technically, the board could evict the llama.”

While the llama died weeks ago, many neighbors were still unaware of the death on Tuesday.

“That’s surprising. I’m shocked,” said Christine Bickly, who has attended meetings of the animal committee trying to develop new rules for animals in the neighborhood.

In fact, Bridle Path residents still see a llama in the neighborhood--it’s just a different llama, named Chanel.

Pelter said she has quietly replaced Fantasia with the llama’s 2-year-old half sister.

“It’s not a secret. It’s just not something that we are standing on corners talking about,” Pelter said.

Homeowners association President Louis Pandolfi said that while the new llama may still be in technical violation of the association’s codes, covenants and restrictions, it is allowed under the City Council’s most recent decision to permit existing llama sites to continue.

“I think the replacement is legal,” Pandolfi said. “They grandfathered it to the animal owner, rather than to the specific llamas.”

Pandolfi said the homeowners association is working to amend its rules to allow llama permits. The rules would go before the association at its annual meeting in January, Pandolfi said.

Until then, “the replacement seems fine,” Pandolfi said. “They must really like llamas if they want to go through it a second time.”