An Essex woman considers her pigs to be pets, but town officials where she lives say they’re farm animals and have no business living in a residential neighborhood.
The Essex zoning board has given Florence Gruber and Alan Tsefrekas until Jan. 22 to remove an estimated 30 to 40 miniature potbellied pigs from their home in the Pinewood Manor neighborhood.
At Thursday’s meeting, Gruber told the board her pigs use litter boxes and that the adult animals weigh in at 50 to 100 pounds. She’s given them names like Larry, Nadia, Olive and Snow White Sleepy Girl.
The Burlington Free Press reported that neighbors told the board that the pigs must go. Gruber says the pigs are now up for adoption.