Suburban pig owner loses battle to reclaim Missy the pig

The owner of an orphaned pig has lost his battle against the council to return his beloved Missy.

Daniel English with his pet Razerback pig, Missy. Picture: Shae Beplate.

The owner of an orphaned pig has lost his battle against the council to return his beloved Missy.

Gulliver resident Daniel English said Townsville City Council staff, escorted by police, removed Missy, a large wild pig he had hand-raised, along with his rooster Kuta.

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Under Local Law No. 2, pigs and roosters cannot be kept on properties with an area less than 4000sq m.

However, Mr English said they were “domestic animals” and well behaved.

“It just crushed me (having Missy and Kuta taken away), to me it’s not justified,” he said.

A council spokesman said following complaints from the public, the pig and rooster were impounded in August.

“Council understands that it can be difficult to lose a pet. However, not only is it inappropriate to keep a rooster and a pig on a small residential block in the middle of the suburbs, it’s also against the law,” he said.

“Such animals should only be kept on larger blocks in a rural setting.”

Kuta the rooster and Missy have since been rehomed.

Mr English said losing Missy and Kuta had left him feeling “depressed and numb”.

Originally published as Suburban pig owner loses battle to reclaim Missy the pig