WCOM NEWS

9-17-04

Livestock or pet? Pot-bellied pig that 'acts like a dog' is targeted by Miramar

MIRAMAR--City officials call her livestock. But to Hope Bennett, Gurdy is much more.

Like a dog, her tail wags, she begs for food, plays with children and interacts with other family pets.

She doesn't bark; she oinks and squeals. And her meals are served in a trough. That doesn't matter to Bennett, who raised the 10-year-old, 150-pound Vietnamese potbelly pig since she was just a baby.

"She's like a dog," Bennett told commissioners at a recent meeting. "She's not enormous, but she's not tiny. I love her. I don't want to get rid of her, please."

Police, responding to a domestic call at the Bennett house, found the pig loose in the front yard. After corralling Gurdy into the back yard, they called a code compliance officer.

On Sept. 8, Bennett was given 45 days to get rid of the pig or get approval from city officials to keep it.

"As the code reads you can't have livestock, and they consider a pig livestock," Bennett said. "But what I'm trying to say is it's my pet."

Julie Fear, the city's code compliance supervisor, said Bennett could seek a land use amendment that would allow her to keep the pig. Otherwise, the city's rules prohibit livestock or agricultural activity.

"We have a lot of trouble with roosters, chickens and people bringing in goats, but you can't have them in residential neighborhoods," Fear said.

Cartoon characters such as Porky Pig and Wilbur from Charlotte's Web have found a place in children's hearts across the world. So when Bennett brought the baby pig home, she never dreamed she couldn't keep it as a pet. She said neighbors have never complained about her.

Nancy Cursan, of the potbelly pig information group Pigs of Great Fortune, said the animals are a popular alternative to the family dog. She said they are good watch pets, are smarter than a dog and can learn tricks.

"You can house train a potbelly pig in 12 hours. Plus, they are very, very clean animals," Cursan said.

Potbelly pigs were brought into the United States 1986 and can live about 18 years. They can grow to about 150 pounds.

Farm pigs, meanwhile, weigh 1,000 to 1,400 pounds, Cursan said.

"Potbelly pigs by the Agriculture Department have been classified as a pet," she said. "And livestock in Webster's dictionary talks about animals raised for food or clothing, a potbelly pig is a pet."

Florida Gov. Jeb Bush even recognized the pigs, declaring Jan. 23, 1999, as Miniature Pet Pig Day.

(source) Sun Sentinel (Lori Sykes) 9-17-04