Pigs and the city

New Yorkers are flouting the city’s health code and keeping pigs as pets in secret, even though high-rises and apartments are hardly suitable for them.

But there is the chance an unhappy neighbour might squeal, and Queens resident Danielle Forgione is scrambling to sell her second-floor flat after someone complained about one-year-old Petey the pig.

Danielle and her pet pig Petey. Pic: AP

In November and December she was issued city animal violations and in January was told by both the city and her building management office that she needed to get rid of the pig.

The number of pigowners in the city is not clear, but loads of them connect online via Facebook where they set up pages for their porkers and swap pictures.