Olive has been served notice. After peacefully living in New Carlisle for over two years, the city is evicting her from the only home she’s ever known. City officials told Olive that she is such a pig, no one should be forced to live near her and she is no longer welcome in New Carlisle.

According to reports, when Olive heard the news she merely looked at her family and grunted sadly, before going back to work digging around in her backyard. After all, what could she say? The city has a point, she does live like a pig.

A very spoiled, loved, and petted potbellied pig.

Olive’s owners, Misti and James Hedrick, say they adopted Olive two years ago, because their daughter, Taylor Turnbill, an FFA member at Tecumseh High School, is simply wild about pigs.

Misti says that a few years ago, she never would have believed she would someday have a pig running about underfoot in the house, but now it is second nature to her.

“Olive has lived here with little problem since we brought her home. She is a sweet pig. Olive is litter-trained, she gets baths, and she doesn’t smell. She gets along great with our dog, Bell, except for the occasional scuffle when Olive tries to steal Bell’s food out of her mouth. Olive follows us around the house too...she really does loves us. We love her too.”

At issue is Olive’s very piggishness. New Carlisle city officials say since Olive is of the porcine persuasion, she is automatically classified as livestock, which means her very presence within the city limits is violating zoning laws. However, the Hedricks argue that classifying Olive as livestock is ludicrous because she is clearly a family pet.

“Olive is not raised for ‘food, fiber, or farm labor,’ so she is not ‘livestock!’” argues Misti, “Besides, we’ve had her for two years without any trouble, and it’s not like we’ve hidden her either. She stays mostly in the house, but when it’s nice I do let her outside, just like we do our dog. Olive loves to root around the yard and run up and down the fence row, playing with the neighbor dog...I believe she just thinks she’s a dog too.”

Olive might even be called a minor celebrity in her little corner of New Carlisle.

“Our neighbors will come by to peek in on her when she is outside...they will even bring their friends by to see Olive because they think she is so cool. People tell me all the time that they think it’s great that a potbellied pig lives in their neighborhood,” explains Misti.

Misti says it is bad enough that the city said Olive was to vacate the premises, but the time limit the city has given them to find a new home for the family’s favorite little porker is absurd.

“Even if we were willing to give her up, and we’re not, I told the city there is absolutely no way in the world we could do it in the time they’ve allotted us. It’s impossible!”

Part of the problem with rehoming Olive is her size. She weighs around a healthy 110 lbs. In comparison, Great Danes typically weigh between 110-180 lbs.

A legal precedent set in a case against another potbellied pig in Harris County, Texas, may offer a ray of hope in Olive’s predicament.

When the Thicket at Cypresswood Community Improvement Association wanted Judge Mike Engelhart of the 151st district court to declare that a neighborhood family’s potbellied pig, “Wilber,” was livestock, the judge sided with Wilbur’s owners. Engelhart ruled that the Sardo family could continue to keep Wilbur, saying, “The evidence is clear that (potbellied) pigs have been kept and used as pets.”

It was the first time that a Vietnamese potbellied pig was recognized as a pet in court.

Olive’s plight has touched a nerve with a lot of people, both in New Carlisle and on the internet. The Hedricks have been hard at work gathering signatures from neighbors and fellow New Carlisle residents for a petition that would allow the family to keep Olive. As of this writing, a petition online has garnered 11,088 supporters, with many commenting that Olive the beloved potbellied pet deserves to stay with the family who loves her. Over 147 of the supporters are from New Carlisle.

The next round in the Hedricks’ fight to keep Olive in the family will take place at the New Carlisle City Council meeting on March 6 when they will present their petitions to council members.

As for Misti, she is flabbergasted that things have gone so far.

“Olive is a good pet. She doesn’t bother anyone, and no one has ever complained. Now there are petitions to keep her, a newspaper story, and people calling and sending me messages saying they support us...it’s crazy! You know, there are drugs and so many other issues New Carlisle could be taking care of instead...I don’t know why they have decided it’s more important to pick on my family’s pet potbellied pig!”

At the March 6 New Carlisle City Council meeting, Misti Hedrick addressed council about her pet pot-bellied pig that she has had for two years. She has been cited by the city’s Code Enforcement officer for keeping livestock within the city limits.

“I really feel for her situation, but it’s really out of my realm,” said Bridge. “I cannot pick and choose which ordinances I want to enforce.”

Council Member Ethan Reynolds suggested a petition to put on the ballot a change to the city’s ordinance. The next available date it can appear on a ballot, according to Reynolds, would be August.

Hedrick asked if she could get a variance to the ordinance to keep her pig until the issue could appear on a ballot.

“I live outside of the city limits, and I have a pot-bellied pig,” said Clerk of Council Gene Collier. “My suggestion to you would be to find someone who can take care of it until the results of the election are known.”