- Dunckel’s case underscores a fundamental principle: limited government and vibrant civil society go hand in hand.
In mid-February, the North Carolina Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in Dunckel v. Winston‑Salem, a case with implications for civil society in a limited government. The dispute centers on Fairytale Farm Animal Sanctuary, a nonprofit run by Kimberly Dunckel, and the city’s decision to enforce zoning laws that closed the sanctuary to the public.
Fairytale Farm provided a home for abused and neglected farm animals, including donkeys, goats, rabbits, and ducks. According to the Institute for Justice, the sanctuary also hosted groups of Girl Scouts and homeschoolers, giving volunteers and neighbors opportunities to engage in education and community service. These activities demonstrate how voluntary civic engagement can meet local needs without requiring government management.
As a Girl Scout leader myself for more than a decade, I’ve seen firsthand how volunteering at small local organizations teaches children empathy, responsibility, and the rewards of service. Watching girls care for animals, plan projects, and work together to help others has shown me the kind of civic engagement that no government program can replicate.
The folks who run such organizations need the volunteers to operate. They fill a need in the immediate community, but they survive only if we support them. Cases like Fairytale Farm remind me why protecting the freedom to run these small, community-focused initiatives matters.
A decision is still pending in this case, but Dunckel’s legal team argues that Winston‑Salem’s zoning restrictions violate the North Carolina Constitution’s economic liberty protections, including the right to enjoy the “fruits of one’s labor.” During oral arguments, Appeals Court judges pressed city attorneys on whether other home-based activities, such as law offices or daycares, could operate in the same residential zone. This highlights the broader question of how much discretion local governments should have over civic enterprises.
At first glance, this may seem like a narrow zoning dispute. In reality, it raises a fundamental question: Should local governments decide which civic enterprises may exist and which may not? Fairytale Farm illustrates the role of small civic organizations in fostering community; volunteers caring for animals, children learning empathy, and neighbors coming together for shared projects.
When government imposes broad restrictions on these civic enterprises, it risks chilling the increasingly fragile volunteer culture that strengthens neighborhoods and protects our most vulnerable. Government is not capable of replacing that piece of our civil society if we let it die.
Limited government and vibrant civil society go hand in hand.
The outcome of this case could set a precedent for balancing local regulations with the constitutional rights of individuals to operate freely and serve community needs. For supporters of limited government, it is a reminder that liberty is expressed not just in abstract principles, but in the everyday work of citizens who voluntarily build stronger communities.