ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, April 22, 1997 TAG: 9704220076
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: COURTNEY MILLER THE ROANOKE TIMES
If she has to, Pat Earls will go to jail to keep her Vietnamese pot-bellied pig.
Th-Th-That's not all, folks. If she has to, Pat Earls will go to jail to keep Porky, her son's Vietnamese pot-bellied pig.
Earls faced Roanoke City Council for the third time last night armed with neon signs and 700 signatures from Roanoke residents who support amending a city ordinance that keeps swine out of the city.
Council received and filed her remarks as they did at her last address to City Council on April 7. Council withdrew its request for a report from the city manager after Earls' first appearance March 17.
``I don't think the pigs are compatible in neighborhood living,'' Councilman Jim Trout said.
Earls also met with Public Safety Director George ``Chip'' Snead. According to Earls, Snead said he felt the citizens of Roanoke didn't want pot-bellied pigs within city limits, and he was concerned because no rabies vaccination existed for pigs.
"Swine aren't inoculated because the incidence of rabies is extremely rare," said Dr. Carol Hensen, veterinarian at Bedford Animal Hospital.
Earls gave Porky to her son, Chuck Whately, as a reward for raising his grades last year. Whately is in the eighth grade at Ruffner Middle School and struggles with attention deficit disorder.
``He has begged me to keep fighting for this,'' Earls said. "He has enough to worry about with his education, and now he is fighting for his pig."
Porky is a tan, 40-pound yearling. He is housebroken and trained to sit.
Pot-bellied pigs have short hair, don't get fleas and don't bark. Although they can weigh up to 200 pounds, Hensen said, the pigs are not aggressive if trained and disciplined properly.
``Several of our clients have pot-bellied pigs,'' Hensen said. ``They are nice animals and I enjoy working with them.''
The battle to keep Porky began March15 when Pat Earls was given a citation for keeping swine within the city limits. This is a Class 4 misdemeanor and carries a fine of up to $500. Earls' court date is May 6.
Her lawyer, Peter Kaff, said such fines often are dismissed if the offender agrees to remove the animal in 15 to 30 days. Earls, however, plans to keep fighting until the law is changed.
Kaff said the law was intended to keep farming out of the city. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, pot-bellied pigs are classified not as livestock but as pets.
LENGTH: Medium: 52 linesby CNB