Politics & Government
Commission Votes Down Miniature Pig in St. Charles
The Planning and Zoning Commission rejects family's permit request to keep a Juliani pig.
The St. Charles Planning and Zoning Commission on Monday voted down a conditional use permit that would
Kerrie Meyers, owner of Pepper the pig, said Pepper is going through training to become a therapy pet for a local nursing home.
Meyers originally said once Pepper becomes a therapy animal, her family would legally be allowed to live in the city according to the American's with Disabilities Act. However, according to Planning and Zoning staff, the ADA states only dogs can be service animals and the animal must serve persons in their home.
When the issue was first brought to the commission last month, commissioners proposed a new amendment that would allow non-traditional pets to live in the city if they were service animals. Since the ADA does not recognize Pepper as a service animal, a revised amendment was never presented to the commission.
Commissioner Richard Baum said if the Meyers family wants to keep Pepper, the city should amend its ordinance allowing Juliani pigs.
Baum said approving Juliani pigs with a conditional use permit would force the commission to decide if the pigs should be allowed on a case by case basis. He said that puts the commission in an awkward position where commissioners will have to choose who’s pet is best.
“We just turned it down as a conditional use subject basically is what we said,” Balm said. “If the council wants to pass a law making that a legal pet, you know adding that to dog and cats and whatever that is in the code, let them do it. That’s fine.”
Kerrie Meyers said she was disappointed by the Planning and Zoning Commission's decision, but her family will keep trying to make Pepper a legal pet.
"We will fight for him because not only do we love him whole heartedly, but the autistic and special needs children in our own St. Charles City school system with pet allergies deserve to be able to to benefit from Peppers training," Meyers said. "I don't understand why anyone would want to get rid of an animal that can benefit a whole community."