#dabfacts

On calm summer nights, a soft humming can heard coming from the White Mountains. Although tolerated by most of the townspeople, a proposed local ordinance could put that to an end.

The ordinance would make fostering a wild animal punishable by a small fine. Walt Keller runs the Campton Dab Sanctuary, and claims the new ordinance is designed with him in mind.

"I'd be the only one they shut down," Keller says. "My neighbors don't complain. I don't see why the city has to get involved."

Keller, age 68, has been running the Dab Sanctuary since he retired six years ago, but has been caring for dabs on his property for most of his adult life. He says that although the dabs probably do not require his assistance, his company and care is something they appear to enjoy.

Insurance adjuster Jessica St. Onge has been leading the drive for the new ordinance, collecting signatures for a petition to bring the matter up to the city council. She says the new ordinance is all about protecting the residents of Campton.

"We've really been overrun with dabs in the last few years," she explained. "It's time to stop encouraging people to bring these creatures into the city. They don't belong here."

"I don't keep any records, but I'd say there's probably 40 or 50 here at a time," he said. "Most of them come in from the mountains, stay for a day or two, then go back into the mountains." During that time he checks them for ticks and washes them, but otherwise allows them to freely move through his property.

"They're able to leave whenever they want, but most of the time they head west [into the mountains] when they go. They hardly ever go toward the city."

St. Onge disagrees, and cites a number of traffic accidents caused by dabs in the last few years, one of which she was personally involved in.

"I was driving home from work, and three of them started drifting across the road," she said. "I hit one, and lost control of the vehicle. The repairs cost me over $4,000." She added that the dab she hit appeared unfazed by the incident and claims that their extreme physical resilience is yet another nuisance to the town.

She insists that she has no animosity toward Mr. Keller or his dabs, and that the ordinance is an issue of public safety. 

"I was lucky that I didn't get injured [in the crash], but if we keep encouraging these animals to live in our city, the next person might not be so lucky," she added.