Squeals of Joy

Cancel those pig movers, Rudi. You’re staying in Madison.

The controversial Juliana miniature pig living in the Near West Side neighborhood was nearly evicted before a vote by the city council changed an ordinance that prohibited keeping pork as pets.

The motion passed by a slim 11-8 margin after an extended back-and-forth in the council chambers on Tuesday.

Rudi had become a cult favorite around his neighborhood, delighting locals with, well, his being a pig. But not everybody was cool with unusual pet. In July, some killjoy decided to squeal to authorities.

His owners were told they had a week to relocate Rudi or they’d face a fine. That set the chain of events in motion that led to the city council vote.

The amended rules allow households to keep one pet pig as long as it’s less than 24 inches tall and tips the scales at less than 300 pounds. There are other conditions, too, which you can look up yourself if you’re seriously considering opening your home to a farm animal.

It’s hard to say whether this change will lead to widespread pig ownership within Madison’s city limits. Until we hear about a major uptick in swine adoptions, we’ll hold off on creating a line of Wallow Wisconsinbly pet merchandise.