Butler family petitioning to allow pigs as pets
Landon Cabello and his family rescued “Nash” and “Indie” from an abusive farm four years ago.
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One Butler family says they aren't complete without their two pet “mini pigs.”
Landon Cabello and his family rescued “Nash” and “Indie” from an abusive farm four years ago. Now, they are living high on the hog - complete with an air-conditioned pen.
“They were malnourished, they had a lot of issues,” Cabello said. “My family and I vetted them, we brought them back.”
Cabello says caring for them isn’t that different than caring for your typical dog. They’re insured, vaccinated and neutered - they even have their favorite toys and treats.
But Cabello was recently informed pigs aren’t allowed as pets in Butler. Residents can keep pigs as livestock, but that requires at least five acres of land.
“I got a notice in the mail saying that we were harboring swine/livestock, as they call it,” Cabello said. “And to us, they’re not swine or livestock. They live better than pigs that are on five acres. They live great lives here. They're spoiled. They have a whole backyard, they have a family, they have food, they have tons of love.”
The notice, which arrived in June, gave Cabello three weeks to come up with a solution.
“It says that if they don't vacate the premises, they will either fine me or put me in jail,” Cabello said.
Cabello is hoping for an ordinance - like nearby Lincoln Park and Hopatcong have - that allows for domesticated pigs as pets. He says his more than 800 online signatures show that he has the support to back it.
“Just to get that kind of support in a week is amazing,” Cabello said. “There are a lot of people out there that don't view them as livestock, they view them as our family's pets.
“I'm not getting rid of them. That's pretty much, it's not happening. I will fight, continue petitions, whatever I have to do. The boys are not going anywhere.”
Town officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The next town council meeting is Tuesday at 7 p.m.
