City puts kibosh on pet pig, forces owner to say goodbye

A Winnipeg woman was forced to part with her beloved pet earlier this week after city officials told her it had to go.

Donna-Sherry Pinchuk was the proud owner of a 31-kilogram pot-bellied pig named Tiffany. Now, she’s just a visitor to it.

Earlier this year, the city’s animal services department caught wind of Pinchuk keeping the pig as a pet and told her Tiffany had to go.

Pinchuk spoke before a city committee on Thursday, appealing to let her keep her pet in the city.

"I was pretty sure I wouldn’t win it. I was just pigheaded enough to try," she said.

Tiffany is one year old, and Pinchuk has taught her to do tricks like other pets. The pig will even sit for a treat.

On Tuesday, Pinchuk had to part with Tiffany — moving her to a farm outside of the city.

Two days later, the city committee confirmed what Pinchuk thought — Tiffany will have to stay at the farm indefinitely.

"I think the public as a whole will agree with me that pigs, even the pot-bellied pigs, should not be allowed in the City of Winnipeg," said Coun. Harvey Smith.

For Pinchuk, that means only occasional visits with her pet, but she said she has faith her new owners were take good care of Tiffany.

"Her new owners are wonderful. [They] use my voice and my commands, and they like blowing bubbles," she said as Tiffany burrowed her nose into her water bowl. "[Tiffany] might have some things here that we couldn’t offer her like companionship with other animals."