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REBECCA DINOLFI
1. Telephone (570) 842-8118
E-MAIL RDINOLFI@ juno.com
ZONING CONSULTANT
www.PetPigZone.com
To Whom this may concern,
My name is Rebecca DiNolfi . I am an international zoning consultant ,and a member of Pig Pals International Pet Pig organization, I am also the President of The Delaware Valley Potbellied Pig Assn , and an x- representative of The Delta Society Pet Partners AAT Program ,but most importantly I am the proud caregiver of 2 Potbellied Pigs..
Who better to defend the Pig as a companion pet than the very ones of us that live with, and in some cases sleep in the same bed with these amazing animals. Yes, some of us really do sleep with our PBPs, just like some people sleep with a dog or cat.
In the past I have made numerous appearances at zoning hearings on behalf of the pet pig . It is my contention that the very people that are trying to eliminate the Pet pig from their good homes ,dont know anything about the PBP, and dont want to know anything about the Pig as a companion Pet. I can not understand how any person can make a decision about a subject they dont know anything at all about.
The PBP has been in this country as a companion pet since the early 1980s It has always been here as a pet. It has only been recently that the pet status has been in question. .
It is documented that the Potbellied pig has been accepted as a pet by, The US Department of Agg, The Delta Society Pet Partner Program, Life Magazine, The Governor of Pa. The Governor of Flordia, numerous Hospitals, Nursing homes, Special Needs Schools, Adult Day Care Centers, They are also recognized as a Companion pet in., Lancaster, Pa., Chicago Ill., New York, N.Y., Anahiem Ca., and numerous other citys and municipalities, all over the USA.
The Potbellied Pig is also recognized as a pet by different revenue departments of different states for the purpose of collecting sales taxes on the sale of their pet feed as well as the sale of the Pet pig itself. Pennsylvaina and TX and Iowa are 3 of the states I have paperwork on for taxes.
The closest estimate we have of pet pigs residing in homes in the USA is around 300.000.
It is my personal opinion that all communities should be proud not ashamed to have a PBP living in their community. At this time the pet PBP is the most sought after pet in the world to do AAT work for, nursing homes, hospitals, special needs schools, etc. Our Potbellies residing on the East Coast are some of the most active pets in this service today. Potbellied Pigs from all over this area receive the very prestigious Random Acts of Kindness Award every year, at the Potbellied Pig Congress in Pottstown Pa. on March 1st. Which ie national pig day. There are many more that deserve this honor.
My girl Reggie was one of these. She was also honored in May 1997 Heroes edition of Life Magazine for all the therapy work we have done over the years.
The pet pigs that were honored have made numerous TV appearances, They have had newspaper articles, magazine articles written about what they do for their communities .These companion pets do more for the morale of a community than most of the people that live there.
I have personally received numerous testimonials from places that are excepting the PBP not only as a pet ,but also as a very important part of their health care program. My Potbellied Pig Reggie and I have been featured in numerous magazines, newspapers, and periodicals, all over the US. ,for all the therapy work that we have been doing in the Delaware Valley ,and it has never been questioned whether or not she was my pet. She was always accepted as such, and so were the other Potbellied pigs that are doing Animal Assisted Therapy work .
Potbellied Pigs are the most intelligent animal that anyone can have as a pet in the home, not only are they smart ,but they are very clean. They have no odor because they have no sweat glands. They cry real tears, they pout, they understand what no means, they can figure things out, they never forget anything ,or anyone, they feel real love, they bond to their humans very deeply , they are very loyal ,They are the most human of all house pets. They have the intelligence of a 2 to 3 year old child when they are full grown at four years of age. This is the very reason it is such a crime to have them taken away from their homes. In a lot of cases the Pig will just die of a broken heart.
We have a documented a case in Fla. where a little PBP named Emily was taken away from her family, and put into a sanctuary because of zoning issues ,within 2 weeks the little girls attitude started to change , she sulked around, wouldnt sleep, Emily was giving up. She had just figured out that her family was not coming back to take her home. Later on in the week she would not eat so she had to be forced fed by a vet .On Fri Feb.14 th 1999 at 8:00 am. Emily died of a broken heart. Because of the high intelligence of the pet Pig they are able to see what is happening to them. This is a documented case of death from a broken heart. There are many more that we are trying to compile for our records.
A study was done by Ohio State University about why the Potbellied Pig was loosing their home and they found that 34% of the Pet Pigs are loosing them because of zoning not because they are throw away pets, or because they did anything bad. In a lot of cases these Pet Pigs have taken the place of the children that people do not have for one reason or the other and in a lot of instances they belong to empty nesters like myself . They are so much like a toddler that they make a good substitute for a child in some cases. They are also not the pet for everyone, but they are great for the ones of us that do want them.
I feel that the crime in this instance is not having the Potbellied Pig as a Pet ,but putting the pig, and their owner through this heartache. I feel that the people that try to take our pigs from us are infringing on our constitutional right to have our pet .
I dont know wheather you have a pet, but if you did what would you do if someone came to your door and handed a piece of paper to you stating : You have so many days to dispose of your dog/cat . The first thing you would ask is. Was there anything that your pet did to cause this action? Did it keep anyone awake all night? Did it bite someone? Did it destroy someones property? Was it found running loose? To all these questions you receivea NO, nothing! . Then this person tells you, "There is some old law on the books that says so, thats why". What would you do? Would you have thousands of dollars to fight for the right to keep your pet? This is what it costs, and people are paying it just because they believe in the pig as a pet,and they love them. One of our club members from Phila paid $14,000.00 to keep their pet pigs. Would you do this for your pet?
I hope this helps you to see what these pet pigs mean to those of us that have them. They are as much a part of our family as any other member. I have found in most of these cases the problem is not with the Pig at all ,but with the people that have a grudge against a person that has a Pot BP, and uses the outdated livestock law for feeder and breeder pigs .against the pet pig owner as a way to get even with them.This law doesn`t even pertain to the potbellied pig but it is being used by municipalities all over this country as a reason to kick a pet pig out of their home.
I sincerely hope that the testimony you receive and the information you get will give you a little better picture of the true nature of the Potbellied pig . The Potbelly is here to stay people. Hopefully with more education of the true nature of the Pet Potbelly Pig we can all enjoy their unique human nature and love for us. The issue needs an intelligent answer.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely
Rebecca DiNolfi
Zoning Consultant
DVPPA/pres. |
