Dear Tippy Letters

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Pet Pot-Bellied Pig Feels The Heat

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Pet Pot-Bellied Pig Feels The Heat

Star Telegram
January 14, 2001

Dear Tippy, My name is Eli and I am a potbellied pig. You may have read about me and how the Hurst City Council is trying to make me move from the home I have had since I was 10 days old.

Would you please use your influence to help the city council understand that I am not livestock, but a pet. I have been in my home for six years and there has never been a complaint of which I know the details.

If there is a complaint, I know that my owners will take care of it. I feel very sorry for my owners. They love me very much and I know it will break their hearts to see me have to leave. Please see what you can do.

My owners are circulating a petition to make the council let the citizens decide if I am a pet or livestock. Please encourage your readers to call my owners at (817) 282-**** to sign the petition. We need 550 Hurst registered voters to sign. I really need your help. Eli

Dear Eli, Oh, dear, you poor little pig. Before your letter, all I knew about pigs was what I learned from watching the movie Babe. What a great little pig Babe was. I can still hear that little voice. You guys are pretty neat!

First I called the nice lady who works in city government in the town where I live. We wondered what was the underlying reason that your city is trying to make these changes and make you leave your home.

Are they considering a new ordinance, if so, why? Or is it just you that they want to move? And again - why? I talked with the Grapevine Animal Control and they consider companion pet pot bellied pigs to be just that - pets, not livestock.

If Hurst is considering a new city ordinance she suggested you have your human gather lots of folks to talk at the city council meetings. Also contact other towns in our area that have ruled on this issue.

Did you know that you have also been referred to as Yuppie Puppies because you became popular in the '80s? One person referred to you guys as lard-hogs, so nobody want to eat you. I bet you are glad about that one, Eli!

So then I talked with a nice lady named Chris. She is actually a foster pig mom for lots of companion pet pigs. After she got over the amusement of talking to a dog, she filled me with so much great information about pigs and why they make wonderful pets. Better than dogs, she said (yeah, right!). It left little room to question whether you are a pet or livestock.

Here are some interesting things I learned.

Companion pet pig points:

Potbellied pigs need to be able to be outside. They may sleep inside at night on their personal comforter or on the bed with their human parents.
Pigs get big. There are no "miniature" pigs. Teeny-weeny pigs are just young pigs. The average potbellied pig weighs between 90 and 150 pounds. (Sounds like some dogs I know!)
They must have proper diets. No dog food, no scraps from the table. They aren't farm pigs and must be kept on a strict diet of 1-2 cups of special pig food.
Pigs don't get fleas.
People are rarely allergic to pigs.
Pigs are the fourth most intelligent animal, proceeded by humans, dolphins and apes, in that order.
Pigs are very affectionate and friendly. They bond intensely with their families. They are considered herd animals (the same as we dogs are considered pack animals) so their people become their herd.
Companion pigs have good, easy temperaments if kind and gentle humans raise them. A pig won't become ornery or aggressive unless allowed to do so by his human. (Just like other pets.)
Pigs are extremely clean animals. They want their bedding and food to be kept clean and fresh.
Pigs "do their business" in one small part of the back yard, plus it doesn't stink because pigs don't eat meat or meat byproducts.
Pigs are easily house trained to use a potty pan and will quickly master a doggy, er piggy-door.
Finally, pigs make wonderful pets provided they are spayed or neutered. Vets specializing in exotic animals treat pot bellied pigs. Males may be neutered at three weeks and females spayed at three months

Love, Tippy

Pawnotes:
Special dog licks to Chris Hinterman who enlightened me on pet.... people, roughly 200 rescued pot bellied pigs are currently be cared for. Donations are appreciated and my be sent to For Pig's Sake, 1851 Jamie Lee Lane, Ennis, TX 75119.

DEAR TIPPY

February 4, 2001

Dear Tippy: Thanks for the great help in trying to save this lady's pet pig. The City Council meeting should be interesting, to say the least! From a friend of Eli

Dear Eli's friend: Yahoo! Yippee! So glad to know that the City Council decided to let Eli stay with his family. Does that mean everybody is in hog heaven now? (Ouch! I couldn't resist. As I said, I try hard not to suppress my putty within!) Tippy

February 12, 2001

Dear Tippy, During the past couple of months many two legged friends of animals have been busy writing letters and compiling documentation from cities and states all over the country concerning your buddy Eli's precarious status. These documents have been presented to the City Council members, all seven of them. Unfortunately I am convinced that some have not taken the time to read or even weigh what has been written and what is the law in most of the country.

Eli was recently recognized as a Companion Pet Pig by NCOPP one of the oldest and most prestigious of pet pig registries in the United States.

United Pet Pig Registry Service or UPPRS is another prestigious registry for our valued companions and he has been nominated for membership there as well. As a Companion Pet he should be protected under the Federal Service Animals Act. His service is that of companionship and being a good citizen and family member.

A service animal is not just one who performs a service like seeing eye dogs or fetching primates. Recently near Chicago another Companion Pig went to court because his only crime was being a friend and companion to the homeless and developmentally disabled who came daily to the inner city convent where he resided. He brightened their lives and brought smiles to their hearts and faces.

That was his service performed; companionship, and he was defended by a lawyer who brought up the issue of Federal protection for our loyal companions. His service was acknowledged and he was permitted to continue to live and work in the convent.

Eli has been a good citizen all these years.

In speaking to the lady at the Sanctuary in Ennis I was told that it is filled and no more can be accommodated. Another issue is that many pet pigs given up in the past have just died of broken hearts (refusing to eat or drink) because they so missed their families.

If good citizen Eli is seized from his home of all these years that act would seal his doom. It would be an unconscionable act of cruelty and abuse toward a loyal companion pet.

Please help my friend Eli.
Maryann Miller