Community Corner
Pigly Gets OK to Stay in Batavia
The Batavia City Council is allowing a Batavia man's emotional-support pet to continue to reside in the city.
BATAVIA, IL - Pigly Brown is here to stay. That is, if the teacup pig and the pig's owner, Greg Brown, follow the rules set by local leaders. Batavia city council members recently voted in favor of granting an exception to the city's code, which will allow Brown's therapy pig to stay in town, the Aurora Beacon-News reports.
The pig serves as an emotional-support pet for Brown, who suffers from depression. City officials requested Brown provide a note from a social worker before councilors OK'd Pigly's stay, according to the Beacon-News.
"I think that they are concerned about mental health issues and realized that, in light of the fact that the pig is helping Mr. Brown with his depression, weighing that against concerns about public health and safety, they are willing to give this a try," city Administrator Laura Newman told the Aurora Beacon-News.
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Pigly has been spotted by many around town and Brown has brought his pet with him to Buddha Gandhi and Me wellness and meditation studio, a business he owns in downtown Batavia. While many think the pig is adorable (Pigly even has a Facebook page with over 650 followers), not everyone has welcomed the pig's presence.
In late February, city officials sent Brown a letter notifying him his pet was in violation of a city ordinance after receiving about a dozen complaints about Pigly, Newman told Patch. Brown has been arguing since that he should be allowed to keep his pet.
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Now that city officials have agreed with Brown's request, Brown must follow some specific rules set up for Pigly. This includes verifying his pig has necessary vaccinations and updating that verification periodically as well as following the same rules that apply to other pets in town, such as the city's leash laws, according to the Aurora Beacon-News. He must pick up Pigly's waste when they are out and about.
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Photo via Pigly Brown Facebook page
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