Batavia Man Argues To Keep His 'Therapy Pig'

The City of Batavia has told Greg Brown that having a pig as a pet is in violation of a city ordinance. The city received about a dozen complaints about the pig and sent Brown a letter in late February notifying him of the violation, according to Batavia City Administrator Laura Newman. The letter gave Brown 30 days to either comply or petition the City Council for an amendment to the ordinance.

A Batavia city ordinance prohibits residents from keeping certain livestock, including pigs, within 200 feet of a residence.

According to the Kane County Chronicle, Brown owns the Buddha Gandhi and Me wellness and meditation studio in downtown Batavia. He often has the pig, named Pigly Brown, at the studio. Brown claims that Pigly, an eight-month old teacup pig, is a therapy animal.

“He’s helped me with my depression,” Brown told the Kane County Chronicle. “He’s a therapy animal for me. He is truly a blessing in my life.”

Brown argued to keep his pig at a Batavia City Council meeting on March 21. Officials expressed concern over Brown walking the pig though downtown Batavia without a leash. City officials also said pigs are not considered therapy animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The City Council decided not to charge Brown a fine, which could have cost him up to $500. They will consider an amendment to the ordinance at a future meeting in late April, according to City Administrator Laura Newman.

"There's a lot of bashing of the City of Batavia staff on social media, and I think it's kind of unwarranted," Newman said. "...He was provided with an opportunity to come into the city council and seek an amendment, and it's being seriously considered." Newman said there were several aspects to consider, including which types of animals to allow. She noted that pet pigs can weigh from 60 to 200 pounds.

An online petition calling for the City of Batavia to let Brown keep his pig has received just over 1,700 signatures in two days.

"Mental illness is an incredibly serious issue, and Pigly deserves to call Batavia his home. The City of Batavia needs to allow Greg to keep his beloved therapy animal," the petition states.

Brown told the Kane County Chronicle that he is looking for a new home for Pigly Brown in unincorporated Kane County.

Greg Brown did not immediately return a call from Patch.

Stock Photo (not Pigly Brown): "Pig" by Joanne Goldby via Flickr (https://creativecommons.org/li...)

Note: This article was updated at 1:57 p.m. on 3/29/2016 to reflect information from an interview with Batavia City Administrator Laura Newman.