Beloved pet Vietnamese pot-bellied pig in Longueuil may be evicted

A woman from Longueuil will likely have to part ways with her beloved miniature Vietnamese pot-bellied pig, Jack, because of a municipal bylaw.

Christine Lamarre and her boyfriend have been living with Jack in a rented condo for two years without incident.

Some neighbours recently sent Lamarrea lawyers letter complaining about the pig.

Thecity of Longueuil now says unless Lamarre gets rid of Jack by April, shell have to leave the apartment or face sanctions under a municipal bylaw.

City spokesperson Jacques Ttreault said pot-bellied pigs are not considered domestic animals in Longueuil.

The Vietnamese pot-bellied pig is considered a farm animal and cant be kept outside of an agricultural zone, he told Radio-Canada.

Lamarre begs to differ.

Jack is a nice, quiet animal," she said. "He doesnt smell and hes hypoallergenic.In two years, no one has complained directly to us. In fact, most people in the building ask us if they can pet him."

Jack weighs 80 pounds, just like a medium-sized dog.There are plenty of dogs and cats in the building.We dont understand."

Can pigs be pets?

The status of Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs as pets in other cities is a bit fuzzy, according to Valrie Larose, a mini-pig breeder in Shefford.

Longueuil, Trois-Rivires and Granby make our lives difficult.They consider Vietnamese pigs as farm animals, said Larose.

But Larose added that the city of Montreal tolerates the pigs as pets, as long as they dont cause a nuisance.

These pigs do their business in a litterbox, not like a dog who goes outside and comes back in with wet paws.Theyre brilliant, hypoallergenic animals, said Larose.

Lamarre and her boyfriend have launched a petition on Facebook to try to gain support for keeping Jack.As of Tuesday afternoon they had 883 supporters.