Vaihingen alpaca farm faces shutdown after state regulators challenge city permit

The Ensingen alpaca farm

In the district of Ensingen within Vaihingen an der Enz, Baden-Württemberg, a herd of alpacas grazing behind a residential home has become the subject of an administrative dispute. Patrick Stellmach, a 38-year-old former Bosch engineer, established the small farm to realize a personal dream and provide children with direct contact with nature. He has been breeding alpacas at the location for approximately one and a half years. The herd currently consists of several grazing animals, including four pregnant females that are expecting offspring. While alpacas are widely regarded as calm and gentle animals, the housing arrangement has generated friction among neighbors and multiple levels of government.

Municipal deal and administrative conflict

The legal status of the alpaca farm rests on an arrangement reached at the end of 2024 between Stellmach and local municipal authorities. At that time, the city administration of Vaihingen granted permission for the installation of an enclosure and an animal shelter under specific municipal conditions. In exchange for this permit, Stellmach pledged to provide free educational visits to the farm for local daycare centers and schools. The city praised the cooperative agreement as a working example of enabling administration. However, the higher-ranking Stuttgart Regional Council evaluated the municipal contract and determined that the agreement is likely legally ineffective.

Building regulations and neighbor objections

According to the Stuttgart Regional Council, the lack of a valid municipal permit means the animal enclosure and shelter formally constitute an unauthorized construction project. Under regional building regulations, keeping such animals legally on the property requires either an officially recognized agricultural enterprise or a binding municipal development plan. State regulators noted that neither legal prerequisite exists for Stellmach's residential property. The regulatory examination was triggered by complaints submitted by neighbors, who raised objections concerning odor from the herd. The complaining neighbors could not be reached to provide a formal statement on the matter.

Animal welfare and the petition for time

Stellmach has pushed back against the neighborhood complaints, asserting that his alpacas are neither noisy nor prone to generating strong odors. Regulators had initially contemplated a rapid relocation of the herd within a single week, but Stellmach argued that such a swift transfer violated animal welfare standards given the vulnerable condition of his four pregnant alpacas. To prevent an abrupt clearance of the property, Stellmach launched a public petition, securing a window of several months to resolve the dispute. He is currently evaluating potential alternative sites where the animals can be permanently and legally relocated.