| A personal letter for zoning from a piggy mom,
July 17, 2004
To Whom It May Concern:
I want to offer my support and knowledge regarding having pigs as pets, in
particular Pot Bellied Pigs.
My pig’s name is Winnie. She is a five-year-old spayed female, approximately
175 pounds. She is registered with the United Pet Pig Registry and part of statistical
studies regarding her kind. She is not in any way being raised for meat, but is my dear
lifelong companion pet. I have dogs, a cat and birds. This piggie is the most delightful,
intuitive, and communicative animal of them all. Did you know they rank fourth in
intelligence, behind mankind, the monkey family, and killer whales and dolphins? They
recognize colour, and shape, form deep attachments that put them into killer
depression when they are taken from their human families, and have at least 12
different vocalizations that can be clearly understood as each sound always means the
same thing each time it is spoken. They are very easily trained with persistence, and
can behave to make you proud.
I live on a lot 100’ x 150’. The back yard is one third of that size. This is where
my pot bellied pig lives. I have flowerbeds galore, a vegetable garden, rock gardens,
hanging baskets which she could bother if she wanted to, shrubs, flowering bushesyou
name it, I’ve got it. Some beds have no "fence". I put that in quotes because our
"fences" are those little white decorative ones which she could surely remove with her
snout if she chose.
She touches NONE of the flowerbeds whatsoever. She does not ‘root’ at all. She
eats Mazuri Pot Belly Pig crumbles, grass (the lawn) all day long and compost items
like fruit and veggie leftovers we give to her in her twice daily bowl of water or milk.
She does enjoy her food, and the site remains clean always because she eats and
that’s that.
She does her bathrooming in one spot usually. As piggies are very private, she goes
to the back corner kind of in behind a bush. She’s very compulsive about that. Piggies
are creatures of habit. Very neat. There is no odor. She’s clean and there are not the
piles everywhere that dogs leave. We use the manure in the gardens. So she eats
what would otherwise be kitchen compost waste and the products she gives back we
use in our yard/gardens.
You will not find a more ecologically sound animal than a pig.
I should tell you about the neighbors. They were all very concerned this Spring when
they hadn’t seen Winnie in the front yard with us. (She comes out with us when we are
working out there). One by one, they approached us, hoping nothing had happened to
her. They all love her. So on the one hand, they didn’t even know she was still with
us, and on the other, they love her and bring her veggies and fruit leftovers. She is a
delight to them also.
Our local Seniors’ Respite center, loads up the elderly folks and brings them out
here twice a summer to visit Winnie. They make her cookies and bring her grapes.
They stand in the grass all tottery and Winnie gently takes the food offerings from each
one in turn with happy smacking, some drooling and a wagging tail. She’s so gentle.
This organization would send the bus out to get Winnie in the Winter and bring her into
the Center, but I have not leash trained her so I don’t do that. But she is very important
to the people in the program. She’s "Their" piggie.
She will take a piece of food from our lips every-so-gently with her lips.
She will snuggle beside us on the grass. She follows my grandchildren around the
yard and observes what they are doing, and they check out with her what she is doing.
I should also mention that even when the gates are open and Winnie could go out to
the front yard, she doesn’t. Pigs like their own area and bed and territory and do not
venture far from it. "Home sweet Home!" is a good saying for them. They like to be
safe in their area.
Generally speaking, municipalities in North America are woefully lacking in
information regarding pot bellied pig pets and their nature and habits. In Scandinavian
countries, people have had pot bellied piggies in high rise apartments. They will litter
train just like a cat because of their natural desire to use one place for their
bathrooming, or can be taken out for a walk twice a day. I’m glad I can give Winnie a
yard and grass and fresh air and rain and wind. I dont know if I would have a pig
under those conditions, but in those places where there is little land, people do and the
pig is trainable, is my point.
They are very adaptable and peaceful animals, very content. They are simple. A
little space, a little grass, clean water, a nice pile of blankets to snuggle in, lots of love
and interaction with their owners, and the relationship that develops is a wonder to
behold.
Pigs have saved people’s live. Oprah had a woman on whose pig had saved her
life by alerting people when the woman needed help. She had had a heart attack and
fallen to the floor unconscious. The pig squeezed out a doggie door that was too
small, through a locked gate, and stopped traffic. It had cut itself all along it’s sides in
doing that, but did not flinch at all.
One of my friends in Arizona tells about how when Gramma was alone, her pot
belly was found screaming at the top of it’s lungs outside the neighbour’s house. The
neighbour thinking that awfully strange, ran over to see what was the matter, but had to
go back to get the key. The pig ran back after her loudly entreating her to come and
help. When she got in the house, she called 911 because Gramma was in the
Lazyboy chair in a diabetic coma.
I know there could well be abuses of the privilege of having a pet pig, just as
there are for dogs, cats, horses, etc. Let each case be judged on its’ own merits then.
Provide sound parameters for having a pet pig. You could decide on those easily with
information from the United Pet Pig Registry.
United Pet Pig Registry, Inc.
245 Adonis Ridge
Sistersville, West Virginia 26175
PH: (304) 758-4766
info@upprs.com
See how this can work for your area. It works here and in many jurisdictions
where there is education and guidelines. Charge a licensing fee if you will. Have
some requirements. But never be accused of being closed to the idea based on
ignorance of the truth.
Pigs are often called "pig-headed" because there is an assumption that once they
get something in their head, they are not able to change their mind. First of all, that
isn’t so. They are trainable.
But secondly, it would be a sad commentary if the people making the decisions
fell into that category.
I wish you well.
Laura Matsuda
250-395-1322
interface@bcinternet.net
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