Sen. Tony Avella (Dennis A. Clark)
CAMERA HOG: Two of New York’s Finest look on as Nadine Darsanlal nuzzles her pig, Wilbur, even though the city forbids the animals — a longstanding law opposed by New York state Sen. Tony Avella (inset). (
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A state senator is rallying to get the city to overturn a longstanding law forbidding New Yorkers from having cuddly little pigs as pets — or at least to quit slapping those who do with summonses.
“People die on [illegal] construction sites . . . and yet our threatening enforcement is against the person who has a small pig. There is a total inconsistency in the way the city deals with certain activities,” Sen. Tony Avella (D-Queens) told The Post.
“Families who have pigs have absolutely no problem maintaining them. They’re not a danger to other people, and may even be less of a danger than other animals [that are legal]. Obviously, the city needs to do more research.”
Lou and Danielle Forgione of Whitestone say they have received two summonses from the Health Department over Petey, their adorable Juliana pig. When they did not comply, the city sent a third notice threatening to “dispose” of the 50-pound porker.
“They hit us with a letter that we had 15 days to dispose of said animal. Otherwise they would come in with force and they would dispose of him. Basically they told us they would euthanize him,” said Danielle Forgione, 33.
When the mother of six took her case to the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings, a health inspector there intimidated her with suggestions that the city could sic child services on her family.
“As if Petey was going to harm them!” the outraged mom said. “He’s so gentle. He sits in bed with my kids. He’s clean. He’s wonderful.”
The Forgiones, who were also recently threatened with an eviction notice by their building’s co-op board because of Petey, are now trying to sell their apartment so they can move to a town like Southold or Brookhaven in Suffolk County where pig ownership is legal.
“A lot of people say, ‘Just give up the animal.’ But he’s become part of our family, and I can’t,” said Danielle, who named the pig after her brother, who died in a motorcycle accident last year.
Other New Yorkers who own pigs also said they’ve gotten grief from the city.
Disabled Navy vet Nadine Darsanlal, also of Whitestone, says the Health Department has stymied her efforts to certify her micro-pig Wilbur as a therapy animal.
“It’s awful. It’s stressful. I always have to be watching my back. I have medical issues and the stress alone is making me sick,” Darsanlal, 33, said, adding that the city slapped her with two notices this year.
While the department could not easily calculate the number of pet-pig summonses it issued, it could recall that there have been 85 illegal animal violations from 2008 to date.
Pigs don’t meet city codes because of health risks that include rabies, a department spokeswoman said.
Avella, the senator, said he did not know until recently that owning pigs was even illegal in the city. He was outraged to learn that Mayor Bloomberg’s daughter Georgina brought her pet pig to Gracie Mansion on Thanksgiving to meet Hizzoner — and got off scot-free.
“The city’s going after families who have pigs as companions. Meanwhile, Bloomberg’s daughter has a pig in Gracie Mansion and no one mentions it’s illegal,” Avella said.