COSTA MESA : For Exotic Pets, It Can Be Dog’s Life

When Kathy Lovell decided to surprise her husband last year with an early Christmas present, a pot-bellied pig named Truffles, she more than succeeded.

“I think he was shocked. He didn’t speak to me for two weeks,” Lovell said. “Now, he loves it. He tucks it into bed every night. It’s his pig.”

Before she brought Truffles home, she had gotten the consent of her neighbors, including those to the back of her property. But other owners of farm animals in Costa Mesa aren’t always as thoughtful.

Animal control officer Robert O’Brien said he answers calls about goats, roosters and pigs, usually from neighbors irritated about animal noises in the city that used to be known as Goat Hill.

Roosters make their wake-up calls as early as 3 or 4 a.m., and goats about to be slaughtered often put up a loud fuss, O’Brien said.

“Usually when we get a call about a goat, it’s been dismembered and it’s in the pot,” he said.

That may change if the City Council approves an ordinance formalizing and amending the current policy on farm animals.

It has been almost two years since the council voted to allow certain farm animals to be kept at homes with a permit. That vote came after residents Arthur and Angela Raj Kumar were ordered to get rid of their pygmy goat, Barney. The Kumars marched the animal into the council auditorium and persuaded council members to change the ordinance.

The city attorney’s office has since reviewed existing laws and drafted an ordinance that spells out other requirements, such as adequate space for the animals and proper care and feeding. The council asked the city staff to include a provision making it illegal to slaughter animals in residential areas.

Since the council vote to change the city’s policy regarding animals such as Truffles and Barney, O’Brien has been categorizing them as exotic. If he gets a complaint about an animal, he urges owners to either get rid of it or apply for a permit.

“It’s no big deal,” he said. “It’s really just a pink slip on your pet” that will help animal control officers identify and return it if it ever escapes.

There are permits in the city for raccoons, snakes, monkeys, pygmy goats and pot-bellied pigs. Residents, however, may not have more than four exotic animals.

Similarly, the city of Orange is considering a “designer-animal ordinance” that would allow exotic pets.

O’Brien admits that his office usually finds out about violations only when neighbors call to complain. Many animals are still kept illegally, many times to the detriment of the animals, he said.

“Livestock, let’s face it, they belong on the farm,” he said. “It’s not natural for the animal to be kept in the back yard. They need grazing space.”

But the Lovells disagree, at least in Truffle’s case. They have installed a swinging door in the back door leading to the yard, giving the pig full run of the property.

Lovell thinks her pet is better than a dog because it doesn’t bark, but she admits that Truffles isn’t as affectionate.

“She just hangs around and eats, and you know she’s there,” she said.