A Staten Island family has been fighting the city tooth and nail for the right to keep “Lucy,” a beloved pet pygmy pig. Now the government has relented.
For almost 15 years, Lucy has resided with the Gannones, her adopted family, in peaceful harmony. But in June, “the pig was subject to an anonymous 311 complaint,” which said the Gannone family “had been illegally keeping her as a pet” (owning a pig is illegal within city limits), according to reporting from CBS News New York. While the Gannones faced potential fines ranging from $3,000 to $18,000 and threats of Lucy being taken away, they refused to comply. Lucy, who is registered as an emotional support animal, is being treated for various diseases due to her advanced age on Staten Island, reports SILive.com.
Prominent New Yorkers have rallied in support of Lucy’s right to stay with her family, including Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels and a Republican candidate for mayor. “This is what the city is prioritizing during a public safety crisis,” Sliwa said in a Facebook post after visiting the family’s home. “15-year-old Lucy has lived with the Gannone family in Tottenville her whole life. She’s sick, she’s harmless and now in her final days…This isn’t public safety. This is abusive, punishing people over something that hurts no one.”…