When last we wrote of Twinkie the Grinches who enforce laws in Coral Springs, Florida called Twinkie “livestock” and said that a pig couldn’t be kept as a pet by Kason Ray, a boy who was born with Down Syndrome. The family was facing $500 a day fines for keeping livestock in their home.
Now they have changed their minds. Twinkie can officially stay.
In case you are visualizing a huge barnyard animal, Twinkie weighs six pounds and is totally housebroken, using kitty litter. The Rays couldn’t get a dog or cat for Kason because his dad has severe allergies. Twinkie, however, is hairless and hypoallergenic.
According to Kason’s mother, Heather:
She calms him down when he's very agitated. He does get very agitated easily. She helps as a calming effect to him. She gives him the acceptance that not all special needs people really get in our society unfortunately….I think that's the most important thing for me as a mother to see him get that unconditional love and acceptance. Source
Sometimes even city officials have common sense and compassion.
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I'm glad to see that. Yea for Twinkie and Kason.
Posted by: Becky | January 24, 2013 at 04:29 PM
A happy ending. Nice :)
Posted by: Georgia Little Pea | January 24, 2013 at 07:53 PM
That is so great and it does not surprise me that pigs make great therapy animals. It is well known that dogs can provide priceless support to kids with autism or Down syndrome; this provides another option for families with special needs individuals who also have allergies!
Posted by: Kirsten | January 25, 2013 at 08:33 AM
So happy to see that they are doing the right thing!
Posted by: Heather | January 25, 2013 at 09:01 AM
Good for Kason and for his little pig, glad someone came to their sense and had a heart!
Posted by: Jen @MyBrownNewfies | January 25, 2013 at 12:20 PM
This is great news! If only all city officials were as understanding.
Posted by: Amy@GoPetFriendly | January 25, 2013 at 12:27 PM
It's about time that they gave these people a break. Having a disabled child is difficult enough without having the city trying to interfere in their lives.
Posted by: maude | January 26, 2013 at 03:52 PM
Thank Heavens...having a disabled child is hard enough...having ugly government people not understand horrible. I so glad it worked out for the family!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com
Posted by: Linda | January 27, 2013 at 09:26 AM
finally someone does the right thing
Posted by: yellowdoggranny | January 27, 2013 at 03:12 PM
I'm so happy that they've decided Twinkie can stay! It's nice to hear sense being made by folks in charge.
Posted by: Jen | January 27, 2013 at 11:21 PM
I'm glad the child got to keep the pig, but it saddens me to know how much they had to go through to get 'permission.'
Posted by: Jodi | January 28, 2013 at 09:33 AM