JESUP, IA (KCRG/CNN) - Jenny Hingtgen says Miss Piggy was very popular in the neighborhood. "People down the street, or even the people far away. They'd just come down with their bikes or walk down and take pictures with her. They would pet her,” she said.
She calls the animal fun-loving and harmless, and helped the family cope after losing their cat. "My dad got her as a gift for my mom for Christmas to bring love back into the family after we were all sad at Christmas and it definitely worked. Because we loved her forever and ever,” she said.
But one person wasn't happy with the pig there, and notified the city. The Hingtgens chose to put her down after they couldn't find her a home. "I miss her every single day. I mean I just looked at videos a couple of days ago and started crying,” Jenny said.
The family couldn't afford the potential $750 fine with additional fines for each day they kept Miss Piggy.
Mayor Larry Thompson says they tried working with them, giving them a 30-day notice in August to get rid of the pig. The family was issued the ticket after they didn't do it in time.
Thompson says they do allow some animals as pets. "Frogs, dogs, parakeets, as long as it's not defined as livestock. And even if it is livestock if it's zoned agricultural grounds within the city limits, they still can have those animals,” the mayor said.
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