Potbellied Pig Banned

Fayetteville’s city council did not pass a motion on Tuesday to allow an 8-year-old autistic boy to keep his pet potbellied pig, Loopey. In Fayetteville, NC, it is illegal to have livestock within city limits, but Lisa Pia and Bobby Tibbetts say that their son, Anthony, benefits greatly from his interaction with Loopey, and they urged the city to allow her to return to their home. Anthony’s family wanted to change the law to specifically allow potbellied pigs as pets, or to give the city manager authority to consider these cases on an individual basis. However, other citizens and council members were concerned about property value damage. On weekends, Anthony still goes to a ranch outside of town to visit Loopey, and his family says they will keep fighting for a more permanent reunion.