Jack the smelly pet pig at centre of neighbour row
Neighbours are locked in a bitter row over a 'loud and smelly' pet pig.
Michelle Repper, 44, was 'baffled' to receive complaints about Jack, the six-year-old Juliana pot-bellied pig that is kept in her garden.
She adopted Jack with her husband Carl six years ago, after their friends mistook the animal for a micro pig.
Mrs Repper, a teaching assistant from Spalding, Lincolnshire, said she was shocked when one neighbour allegedly shouted through the garden fence that the pig was 'disgusting'.
She then received a letter from South Holland district council to inform her that an odour and nuisance complaint had been filed.
Mrs Repper, who said the couple have a licence to own and walk Jack, claimed that he is the 'cleanest animal', and sleeps quietly for up to six hours a day.
She added that her family would be 'devastated' if they were forced to re-home Jack, and insisted they would 'put up a fight' if the complaint escalated.
The council confirmed they had visited the pig twice and observed no issues. They also said the owner had 'taken steps to reduce the noise levels'.
Mrs Repper said: 'He is like our dog. He's our pet. The neighbours have always known we've had Jack. Everybody loves him. The neighbours bring their leftover food from Sunday dinner over for him. Dog-walkers all ask about him. He's so gentle.'
Following a trip away last month, Mrs Repper said a neighbour began 'shouting at her' through the fence, calling Jack 'noisy and smelly'.
She explained: 'We left his wheelie bin in there and he does throw it around. When we got back, we apologised for it.
'All of a sudden we could hear this lady shouting through a hole in the fence saying he was disgusting and she can't believe there's a pig in the garden. But we've had him for six years, not a couple of weeks. She's always known we've had him.
'That's the first time anyone has ever said anything in six years. No one's said anything about the noise or smell before. He's so quiet. My husband said, 'rather than shouting from the fence, come around and have a decent conversation with us' but she just carried on shouting.'
The situation escalated after the couple received a letter from the council to address a formal complaint about the animal.
Neighbours then voiced their concerns to the town's newspaper, saying the pig 'makes [their] life unbearable' and described their living situation as a 'tragedy'.
Mrs Repper said: 'Tragedy? I don't really know what to say about that. He's been here for six years. It's more gutting that it's come to this. I'm just baffled.
'She could've just come round to us and said he's really smelly and making loads of noise rather than making a complaint.
'There's got to be evidence of smell and my husband cleans that every other day. He always does it in the same spot. He's not defecating all around the garden.
'If we had to re-home him, it would be like someone giving away their dog. My husband and my girls would be devastated. He's just part of the furniture. We'd put up a fight [if they wanted to rehome him].
'I've emailed the council to say you're welcome to come round and have a look at him. We've got nothing to hide.'
A South Holland district council spokesman said: 'We are aware of this case and have been in contact with APHA [Animal and Plant Health Agency], who have confirmed that all the appropriate licences are in place. Our officers have visited the site on two occasions, during which no issues have been observed.
'The owner has taken steps to reduce the noise levels, and advice has been provided on how to correctly monitor and record concerns, to allow us to continue to investigate as required.'
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