POT BELLIED PIGS AND ZONING

Question
QUESTION: Hi Helen,
I've contacted animal control in San Diego to find out if pot bellied pigs are allowed.  They told me yes.  Do you know if that is true?
Thank you
Karen

ANSWER: *IF* Animal Control said yes, AND you own your home AND you are not subject to Home Owners Association rules, then I believe you will be allowed to have a pig.
Every single town and city has different zoning regulations. And within a single town, different areas have different zoning regulations (for example, some cities may allow 5 dogs in single family homes, but only 2 in multi-family condos). Home Owners Associations also have rules and regulations covering pets, and these rules over ride any local zoning rules (In other words, if the zoning laws say OK but the Home Owners Association says No, the answer is No). It's a tangled mess!
The best way to be sure your pet pigs are allowed is to get a written copy of the zoning ordinances for you area (within the city) AND a written copy of any Home Owner Association rules.
Keep these documents in a safe place. Local officials don't always communicate with each other. Worse still, they don't always know the rules themselves. It's actually happened,  cases where pet pigs are perfectly legal according to the written zoning laws, but uniformed officials tried to evict the pigs anyway.
Becky DiNolfi is not on AllExperts, but when it comes to pot-bellied pigs and zoning she is THE person. Her website is a wealth of zoning information http://www.petpigzone.com/index.asp


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QUESTION: How do I get a written copy of the zoning ordinances?

Thank you very much.

Karen

Answer
Call the city hall. If the receptionist isn't sure who to direct you to, ask for the Building Department. They might charge a fee.
You might have to be firm when asking. When I did this myself back in the early 90s the receptionist at city hall told me "We can't give them to you because you won't understand them"!
So I called the mayor and my council representative, they promptly sent me a free copy, and it was actually very easy to read and understand.
If pot-bellied pigs are not specifically banned, then it's ok to have them.