Emmy the pig has been a member of the Nupoort family since she was a piglet but in the eyes of bylaw officers she’s more livestock than pet.
The family has been forced to find a new home, outside of Calgary, for the one year old pig after receiving a citation from the City of Calgary.
“We can’t keep livestock in a prohibited area,” explained Justin Nupoort. Bylaw Section 27 states 'No person shall keep Livestock in any area of the City except where the keeping of Livestock is allowed under The City of Calgary Land Use Bylaw'.
Emmy had two weeks to vacate the Nupoort's Rosscarrock home. “They’re not just a simple puppy,” said Nupoort. “They are definitely like having a baby.”
Nupoort says the indoor animal requires a ton of love and attention and Emmy helps breaks misconceptions about pigs. “They’re not just for eating. They are the fourth smartest animal in the world.”
To avoid being fined, Nupoort issued a plea for help on his Facebook page in the hopes of locating someone willing to adopt the little piggie. The post was shared more than 4,400 times.
Hundreds of people replied to the post with offers to take the pig. The family is now wading through the prospective pig palaces for the perfect place for their Emmy.
"To find someone that is going to care as much as us, that's the hard part."
CTV Calgary reached out to the City of Calgary Bylaw Services for comment on the Emmy ruling. As of Sunday evening, bylaw officials have not responded to the interview request.
(UPDATE: June 20, 2016)
We reached out to the city for clarification on the bylaw and it says the laws regarding responsible pet ownership are somewhat outdated. There is a review of those bylaws slated for 2017.
With files from CTV's Jamie Mauracher
