KINGSTON TOWNSHIP -- The owner of a pot-bellied pig went in front of a magistrate in Luzerne County to argue why she should not have been cited for having it at her home. Much to her neighbors' surprise, the magistrate sided with her. But Gemma the pig still can't live in a residential area of Kingston Township.
In April, the owner of Gemma the pig was cited for keeping the pot-bellied pig in a residential part of Kingston Township. That ordinance bans, "pigs, hogs, and swines." But another ordinance allows "domesticated" animals, which could be their next fight.
We met Gemma, a happy pot-bellied pig playing in a yard at her former Mount Olivet Road home in Kingston Township in April. But Gemma has since been moved to a farm in Wapwallopen.
Her owners gave her up, at least for now, after being cited by a Kingston Township code enforcement officer for having the pig in a residential neighborhood.
"A pig is considered agricultural and it's not a normal household pet," said neighbor Lorraine Defrancesco.
At a hearing in a magistrate's office in the Back Mountain, the citation was dismissed because there was no documentation of when the pig was seen at the home. If the pig comes back, a new citation could be written.
But what exactly counts as a household pet is up for debate.
At the hearing, the pig's attorney, Larry Kansky, also cited another ordinance that defines a household pet as any dog, cat or, "any domesticated animal."
Still, some neighbors don't want the pig coming back to the neighborhood.
"They just recently moved into the development. They should have looked into it before they decided to buy the house, that a pig is considered a farm animal," said Defrancesco.
Gemma the pig's owner said at the hearing she did call Kingston Township before moving to make sure that a pot-bellied pig was allowed and was told it was.
The owners are now considering moving if Gemma the pig can't stay in the township.
