THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 12, 1995 TAG: 9505120472
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LARRY W. BROWN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 84 lines
Six months after battles with the courts and the bulge, Pinky Starlight has trimmed a bit of the fat that has made her famous.
Pinky, the most notorious Vietnamese potbellied pig in recent memory, has slimmed down to about 180 pounds.
``I see some (loss), but then again it's up and down,'' said her owner, Virginia Hudgins, 34. ``It's no different for this pig to be on a diet than a human being. Pinky is not exactly the athletic type.''
The world was introduced to Pinky in November when Hudgins faced charges of overfeeding her. Pinky tipped the scales at nearly 230 pounds when animal control officials took her away.
Vietnamese potbellied pigs usually weigh between 65 and 100 pounds, officials said. Pinky's heft, they argued, was excessive and cruel.
``She's really lazy,'' Hudgins said, accounting for the pig's weight. ``All she likes to do is eat and sleep. She's like a cow.''
In November, animal control officials removed Pinky from her Norfolk home and placed her at a Chesapeake farm for three weeks. Hudgins then agreed to plead guilty in General District Court to failure to vaccinate the animal and pay a $25 fine if the city dropped a charge of cruelty to animals.
Hudgins was told that if the pig has not slimmed down to the 100 pounds required by the city's ordinance in a year, she could face other charges.
Pinky, who'll be 2 years old in July, now gets around a little bit easier. Gone are the rolls of fat that once blocked her sight, and her belly hangs about an inch off the ground - instead of scraping it.
She has lost nearly 50 pounds since she was put on a court-approved diet, Hudgins said and she stands 18 inches high.
``She's not the biggest pig around,'' said Hudgins. ``She's petite, she's short and just a little . . . wide.''
A veterinarian has been monitoring the pig's weight. Pinky is on a diet of exotic pig feed, fresh fruits and leafy green vegetables.
Once in the morning and once at night she's fed one-fourth of a cup of Missouri Exotic Pig Feed. However, she tends to snack - frequently - between meals.
``The thing is, you hate sitting there letting the pig be hungry,'' she said. ``If someone goes into the kitchen, she's right there, johnny-on-the-spot.''
Pinky will not eat raisins or radishes, and her favorite food is bell peppers, Hudgins said.
``There's almost nothing she won't eat,'' Hudgins said, feeding her some Cheetos. ``Yesterday I made her lima beans.''
Pinky has regular check-ups at Holly Ridge Manor Veterinary Medical Center in Virginia Beach. Although she still needs to drop some pounds, the vets have given Pinky a clean bill of health.
``You can see she's happy,'' she said. ``Look at her tail wagging!''
Pinky prances through Hudgins' house in the 8100 block of Simons Drive as if she owns the place. The living room is decorated, it seems, in her honor. There are ceramic pigs and stuffed pig dolls - Miss Piggy, Piglet and Petunia - just to name a few items.
Hudgins, a Norfolk native, said she always has been hog-wild about pigs. Her interest began when she read ``Charlotte's Web'' as a child.
``I never dreamed I'd have a real pig,'' she said. ``Ever since I was a little girl, that was just it for me. I always thought I'd have to go to the country. I thought I'd have to go somewhere reclusive with my loved one.''
Hudgins said she'll continue to monitor her pig's weight and is optimistic about reaching the 100-pound requirement, but she never really considered Pinky to be too fat.
``The thing is,'' she said, ``the Lord has a day that Pinky will go out of this earth, just like you or me, and when God's ready to take Pinky he's going to take her, fat or not fat.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
STEVE EARLEY/Staff
After: Six months into the diet, Pinky is 80 pounds from her target.
Look for the difference over her eyes and in her belly.
File color photo
Then, Pinky was more than twice her mandated weight. She was sent to
a farm and ordered to hit 100 - or else.
by CNB