The New York City Health Department is fining a woman, saying that her pet pig Wilbur, a service animal, is not in compliance with the law.
Wilbur is a therapy companion to Nadine Darsanlal, a disabled Navy veteran who says she was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis while on an overseas deployment.
Watch footage of Nadine and Wilbur here.
She says 3-year-old Wilbur is what keeps her going.
However, Darsanlal continues to receive health department citations for keeping illegal livestock, including a recent one with a $500 fine, calling Wilbur a wild animal.
A judge reviewed Wilbur’s badge as a certified Emotional Support Animal, but still insisted the fine be paid.
The current city Health Codes prohibits ‘the possession and / or harbouring of the pig species’.
New York State Senator Tony Avella is fighting to change the law to allow pigs Wilbur’s size and smaller live as pets in the state.
