Provincial court rules in favour of ousting Eli the pot-bellied pig
Owner pleaded not guilty to bylaw violation in August
It may be the end for one pig in the city.
On Monday, a provincial court upheld a violation ticket issued to the owner of a pot-bellied pig in Sherwood Park.
Unlike Edmonton and Calgary, Strathcona County does not allow special permits for pot-bellied pets under county bylaws.
The ticket, for contravention of Strathcona County’s Animal Control Bylaw 18-2011, was issued in June after owner Michelle Kropp refused to get rid of the pig named Eli, which lives in her family’s home as a pet.
In August, Kropp pleaded not guilty to the bylaw violation and was assigned Monday’s court date to dispute the ticket.
The court ruled in support of the county's bylaw, which considers Eli to be livestock and therefore not allowed in an urban setting. Kropp will also have to pay a $100 violation ticket fine.
“Strathcona County establishes bylaws for the safety, health and welfare of people and the protection of people and property,” the county said in a release. “Bylaws are created in good faith and in the public interest. In addition to establishing bylaws, the county must enforce the bylaws when they are not followed.”
County officials say they tried to work with Kropp to find a suitable home for the pig, but that she didn't co-operate.
Now, the county says if Eli is not voluntarily relocated, it will move forward with its application to the Court of Queen's Bench for an Order requiring the pig to be moved. That hearing is expected to take place in early 2015.