THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, July 22, 1995 TAG: 9507220247
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LARRY W. BROWN AND STEVE STONE, STAFF WRITERS
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Short : 47 lines
First authorities wanted her to lose weight. Now they want to run Pinky Starlight out of town.
The pig with the expansive girth has been accused of attacking a neighbor, Terra Lynn Bragg.
The Bureau of Animal Control is hot on her curly tail for becoming a nuisance. On Friday, they gave Pinky's owner, Virginia Hudgins, one week to remove the pig from her Simmons Drive home.
Pinky is the overweight Vietnamese potbellied pig who won fame last November after animal control officers accused Hudgins of overfeeding her. The pig was briefly confiscated, and Hudgins was charged with cruelty.
But Hudgins soon regained custody, although a judge told her the pig had to slim down to 100 pounds. Pinky was placed on a court-approved diet and has lived a relatively tranquil life since.
Until Monday, that is, when Bragg came to visit.
``I didn't even know the kids were going to bring company home,'' Hudgins said. ``I was asleep.'' Bragg was visiting Hudgins' sons.
``Pinky was letting me pet her and hug on her and even let me pet her belly,'' Bragg said. The pig bit at her, she said, only when she sat down next to one of the children and started playing with the child. ``Pinky was just trying to protect the boys,'' Bragg said.
Bragg has scrapes and bruises along one arm and shoulder, but insists she has no interest in seeing Pinky booked or booted. She didn't file a complaint.
When she went to have her injury checked, however, Animal Control officials were notified. And they ordered Hudgins to remove the pig.
``I like the pig,'' Bragg said Friday night. And she said she is angry with authorities for using the incident against Hudgins.
``They are giving me 'til next Friday,'' Hudgins said. ``I don't know what to do at this point. I'm emotionally and physically worn out.''
Still, she says she'll fight.
``She's a happy pig. Her tail wags all the time. She's lazy and she likes to eat,'' an exasperated Hudgins said Friday night. ``It's not like she's some killer pig.'' by CNB