Little Rock woman continues to fight for pet pig

ARKANSAS -- Jyll Latham thought it was all over. She and her pet pig, Sooie have been in and out of court fighting to keep Sooie as a pet in her Little Rock home.

In June, a judge ruled conflicting ordinances meaning that Sooie could stay.

Now, another turn in the case could mean the pot-bellied pig has to go.

 

The controversy started with a battle between neighbors over a Vietnamese pot bellied pig named W.P. Sooie.

When the case ended up in court, Latham said a judge ruled Sooie could stay at his Little Rock home while the city figured out a long term solution to "ambiguous" ordinances.

"I guess the city decided that they didn't like that decision, so they took it to the animal services advisory board and decided they would write a new ordinance." Latham, Sooie's owner said the saga continues for her beloved pet.

"I still contend that Sooie, he's an indoor animal, he goes outside to do his business. He's no different than a fat dog, basically," said Latham.

Last week Tracy Roark, Manager of Little Rock Animal Services said the animal services advisory board did vote on a proposal that would re-write the law to ban Sooie from the city of Little Rock.

"Our court determined that it was unclear, so we wanted to clarify the ordinance through our animal services advisory board, so we went through the process, "Roark said. He presented the board with two separate ordinances: one that would allow Sooie to stay, but the other would ban the pig from the city.

Roark said the board compromised. "Not to eliminate them from the city, but require that they are 300 feet from their nearest neighbor, which is how we have been enforcing it."

The recommendation will now have to be approved by the city board of directors.

If approved, Latham said she would either have to move or find another home for Sooie.

"I'm a single mom. I bought a house for my son to have a place to call home, for my pets to have a yard without anybody having to take it away from us. And since the day we moved in, it's been one pain after another."

Latham said the hardest part of this all is watching her 11-year old son cry himself to sleep over the possibility of losing Sooie.

 If the ordinance is passed by the city board of directors Latham will have 30 days to comply.

She said at that point she'll wait for a citation and take the issue in front of judge again.

(KATV - Nov 22, 2013)