Not A B-a-a-d Law
For Little Potbellies
The
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
January 17, 2002
The next squeal you hear may not be from the potbellied pig. It may be from the
potbellied pig owner. And that squeal is likely to be one of delight.
A proposed ordinance would allow a pet owner in unincorporated Henry County to
have a Vietnamese potbellied pig or a miniature goat on 3 acres or less.
Currently, those animals are not allowed as pets unless the acreage exceeds 3
acres. But with that protection would come stipulations that might elicit
squeals of pain, including a $50 annual license fee.
To many, such an ordinance is a joke. But to the few who really like those
animals as pets, the issue is a serious one, Commissioner Gary Freedman said.
"The owners contend 'I can have three Rottweilers or pit bulls but I can't
have a pig or a goat that's harmless,' " Freedman said.
The draft regulation says that just one pig or goat can be kept on 3 acres or
less. It also sets weight limits: No more than 100 pounds for the pig or 40
pounds for the goat. The animal would have to be spayed or neutered. The
pig would have to be a purebred registered through a "North American
Vietnamese Potbellied Pig Registry," the ordinance says. It says that
the premises would be have to be inspected by an animal control officer, and the
animal would have to be examined by a veterinarian.
Citations from animal control for harboring a goat or pig on less than 3 acres
are infrequent, Freedman said. But when it happens, the owner usually has to
give up what had been a perfectly good pet. "They're quiet, they don't
bark," he said.
The proposal is scheduled to be discussed at the Board of Commissioner's meeting
at 4 p.m. Feb. 4 in the county administration building, 140 Henry Parkway,
McDonough.
"It's wonderful that our county's doing that, that they're talking about
helping people have pigs," said self-described "pig person"
Luella Connor. Connor, who lives outside Stockbridge, said she's trained
about 200 pigs over the years. "I can have a pig completely potty trained
in three days. I even trained a pig to answer the telephone," she said.
McDonough resident Denise Joyner, a member of the national Pigs as Pets
Association, rescues potbellied pigs in the metro area after their owners can no
longer keep them. Rescue alerts go out to an e-mail list called
"belly rubs." "If there's a pig around me, I go rescue it and
bring it home until I can adopt it out," Joyner said. She said she
rescued 10 to 15 potbellies last year and every one has been adopted. Pigs
available for adoption are listed by state on the PigsAsPets website.
Noah's Ark Rehabilitation Center near Locust Grove, founded by Connor's daughter
Jama Hedgecoth, has reached its limit for pigs and won't accept any more, said
spokeswoman Angie Martin. She knows of no miniature goats at the center.
Pigs as Pets President Lana Hollenback said she's concerned about the weight
limit the county is proposing. "One hundred pounds or less is unrealistic
for a potbellied pig" because they average 90-150 pounds, Hollenback said.
Owners often are misled by pet stores and breeders about how big their pig will
get, Hollenback said. "Oh, my gosh, my pig is huge, it weighs 100
pounds," she said the refrain goes.
Pigs are No. 4 on the intelligence list right behind whales and dolphins,
according to the website Pigs a Sanctuary. "Pigs are so sensitive that you
can hurt their feelings," the site says. They also "can become
bored easily and are often destructive when finding ways to entertain
themselves," the site warns. And when a potbellied is vying to be
"top pig" in the household, watch out. "They will charge
their opponent," Pigs a Sanctuary says. "When the opponent is a family
member or a guest that has come to visit, this can be quite dangerous."
ON THE WEB: For more information about this topic: Pigs as Pets Association: www.thepigpreserveassociation.org/index.html
Also: Pigs a Sanctuary: www.pigs.org
By Kevin Duffy - Staff Writer