A miniature pot-bellied pig; photo courtesy of Pixabay.com

At the most recent Perry City Council Meeting, the sole piece of business on the agenda was a resolution allowing a miniature pot-bellied pig as a pet in city limits.

Normally, animals considered livestock, such as pigs or chickens, are not allowed to be kept inside the city, but individuals can get approval from the Council to have them. In this case, the City was amenable to the individual’s request for a pet pig. The Council did stipulate the Building Official would have to sign off on the proposed environment for the animal, but they approved the resolution.

City Administrator Sven Peterson says this type of resolution is not uncommon, particularly when it comes to chickens. However, it does require a process, as Peterson explains, “We call it a petition, but you have to ask City Council. So we would ask that you write a formal letter stating your name, address, your intent of how many animals you would like, and then some description of where they’ll be living and how they’ll be cared for and things like that.”

Peterson discussed at the meeting that he might bring a proposal forward to make acquiring chickens an administrative action. In that scenario, people could fill out a form similar to requesting a street closure. The City Administrator, Police Chief, and Building Official would sign off on it, allowing people to bypass the Council and get their chickens quicker. However, Peterson says that proposal is probably still a ways away from coming to fruition.