'The
First Registry
for All Pet Pigs'™
UPPR™,
Inc.
PO Box 60635
Reno, NV 89506
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What
Is New In The World Of Zoning For Potbelly Pigs Written by MaryAnn Miller 11/04 |
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What is new in the world of zoning for potbelly pigs? Just when I thought things were finally settling in for our pet pigs regarding their being maintained as any other commonly accepted house pet something new has arisen as well as an old and haunting issue reoccurring. First, this past year many pet pigs challenged by towns and cities retained their homes by being proven to be the pets they are. This was accomplished with the help and diligence of knowledgeable and very persistent pig people everywhere. These people launched letter writing, e-mail, fax and telephone campaigns to assist pigs and their caregivers to prove that they deserve the same rights as dogs or cats. Attention was brought to the media regarding the clear differences between our beloved pets and livestock. Sharing information about our unique companions is one of the first steps in gaining acceptance for them everywhere. Yes, education of the uninformed is very important and does make a difference in many cases. Thank you to everyone who helped in anyway this past year. A new menace to the security of pet pigs comes in the form of Home Owners Associations or HOA's. Many housing communities are governed by HOA's in addition to being within a town's jurisdiction subject to those laws. In the past the rules of the town overruled the rulings of the associations. This is not true now. Many pigs are unfairly being singled out and forced out of their good homes by associations who take it upon themselves to arbitrarily name and exclude non-compliant pets, colors of paint, vegetation and landscape as well as other items. Some CC&R's or Community Covenants and Restrictions now specifically name potbelly pigs as being banned. In many cases this is even when the county or city allows the keeping of pigs as pets. Some HOA's also use the weight restriction. That tactic has been used by cities and towns as a tool to remove pet pigs from their homes for many years. The weight restrictions vary, but are always unrealistically low. They range from 50 pounds to 90 pounds. The danger with this new menace the HOA is their power not only to force a non-compliant animal to be removed, but to impose fines and yes, even post liens on the property for this perceived non-compliance. In the past property has been seized and sold for the simple act of non payment of HOA fees as well as non-compliance matters. Keep in mind the associations keep on retainer lawyers who reap the double benefits of such harsh governing. The average homeowner is not in a position to fight with legal muscle the all powerful and at times biased HOA. Living in the country or on property with horse privilege does not guarantee safety for our potbelly pigs. This is a new and aggressive campaign designed to prevent people from keeping pigs as pets. In the past the argument with cities was a holdover from the turn of the century when keeping livestock or specifically swine within the city limits did not serve in the best interest of beautification, health, safety and maintaining property values. That was almost 90 years before our potbelly pigs were even introduced into this county as pets only and not consumables. As everyone knows the list is very long differentiating our pets from swine for consumption. Well anyway the campaign is raging from community to community. At this time I am still gathering information from the Southwest on the associations. One problem is that the current governing elected board of each HOA has the right to amend the CC&R's after the homeowners have lived and abided by the previously existing rules for years. Sometimes it is just a matter of expanding the pallet for paints used; sometimes it gets a lot more restrictive and invasive like what is going on with our pet pigs. Maryann Miller |
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