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Leechburg’s Finley the pig gets to stay at home | TribLIVE.com
Valley News Dispatch

Leechburg’s Finley the pig gets to stay at home

Chuck Biedka
Chuck Biedka | Wednesday, May 16, 2018 4:48 p.m
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Jack Fordyce | Tribune-Review
Cody Griffith and his wife, Destiney, sit on the porch of their Leechburg home with their pet potbellied pig Finley May 2.

Finley the pig gets to stay home.

Leechburg council on Tuesday passed an ordinance that lets the potbellied pig remain with its family as a pet while giving flexibility to the borough’s animal control rules.

The measure includes an expanded definition of what constitutes a household pet.

The ordinance was proposed after Leechburg newlyweds Cody and Destiney Griffith were told about nine months ago their 2-year-old potbellied pig, Finley, wasn’t allowed to live in their house.

Discussions started. Lots of folks sided with the pig. Others were concerned about keeping control over animals in the tiny borough.

At the direction of council, the borough solicitor wrote a new ordinance that sets forth property and cleanup requirements but doesn’t ban specific animals. The measure also spells out how much room is required for small and large animals that people want to keep within borough limits.

The ordinance passed on a 4-2 vote.

Council members Chuck Pascal, Robert “Tom” Foster, Lorrie Bazella and Christian Vaccaro voted for the ordinance. Anthony J. Defilippi and Anthony Roppolo voted against it. Councilwoman Nancy Bono was absent.

Although he didn’t get to vote, Mayor Wayne Dobos made it clear at the meeting he didn’t favor the legislation.

Defilippi said Wednesday he is “concerned about what other animals people may bring into the borough. Are we opening a can of worms? A big can of worms? I hope not.”

Roppolo and Dobos couldn’t be reached for comment.

The ordinance went into effect as soon as it was signed.

Finley is allowed as a household pet at the Second Avenue residence of his owners. Finley is a 50-pound, mostly white, Juliana potbellied pig, the smallest kind of potbelly.

Chuck Biedka is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-226-4711.

Chuck Biedka is a Tribune-Review staff reporter. You can contact Chuck at 724-226-4711, cbiedka@tribweb.com or via Twitter .

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