The Virginian-Pilot 
                             THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Friday, September 20, 1996            TAG: 9609200534
SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B5   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT 
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH                    LENGTH:   24 lines

PIGS MEANT FOR FARMS, NOT HOMES, COURT RULES

Pot-bellied pigs are more like cows and horses than dogs and cats, according to a ruling issued Thursday in Virginia Beach Circuit Court.

The bottom line to the court's ruling is that pot-bellied pigs can't be kept in residential areas.

In a suit filed by the city against Eugene and Jennifer Hodge, owners of two Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs, the court said that the animals fall within the Virginia Code definition of livestock.

The city allows pot-bellied pigs in agricultural districts, but not in residential areas, for fear the animals will pass diseases to people.

In May the Hodges, who live in the Birchwood Gardens subdivision of the city, requested that the City Council and Planning Commission review city restrictions on pot-bellied pigs.

The Hodges' pigs have been removed as a result of a temporary injunction issued July 29.

KEYWORDS: POT BELLIED PIGS VIRGINIA BEACH RULING ZONING by CNB