Simona Gomes, the guardian of Nina, a 4-month-old basset pig who had been raised as a pet since she was 20 days old, fought in court against her city’s Public Health Service, Petrolina de Goiás (GO), which demanded the removal of the animal from his home, arguing, that the presence of the animal violates the laws of the municipality – and managed to force her to return home last Wednesday (18).

The teacher claims that everyone is very happy about Nina’s return. Photo: Personal archive/Reproduction

However, the case remains in court, which does not guarantee that the decision will be final – the pig may have to return to the countryside.

Nina’s owner explains to RPet that she received news that the pig might be coming home and it “filled them with joy and hope.”

“I grant the request for an injunction and stay of the case pending a final decision,” Judge Christiana Moreira Lopez Rodrigues wrote in her decision.

It found “prima facie” that, in view of the Animal Welfare Code (Article 5, Paragraph VI of State Law No. 21104 of 2021), “there was a lack of due process.”

“This is due to the fact that, apparently, the final administrative decision was made before the deadline for providing documentation confirming the health of the animals and the environment of the place where the pet was bred. There are serious signs of a violation of the constitutional norm, which imposes, including at the administrative level, the right to adversarial proceedings,” the judge said in the document.

The pig case continues to be heard in court – Photo: Pexels/Illustrative/Reproduction/ND

Given the decision, Simone is confident that her pig will never have to leave again.

“I am very confident that Nina will remain in our house, justice will prevail. In the municipality of Petrolina de Goias there is no law prohibiting pig farming in urban areas. The municipality’s own code of conduct not only does not prohibit the raising of pigs in the city, but also allows us to raise any domestic animal,” he states.

Nina was taken from the home she grew up in and had to be taken to a farm – Photo: Simona Gomez/Redesocial/Reproduction/ND

The story of Nina’s nut

“This story got this far because of prejudice against pigs and abuse of power by health department officials. None of the laws cited by the inspector at the time of the subpoena prohibited the raising of pigs in urban areas,” the owner says.

She remembers that the struggle was grueling, but she feels good. “I feel happy, peaceful, calm, with a sense of accomplishment, as do the rest of the family, who are also happy about Nina’s return.”

“We had a routine life, and suddenly everything changed, took a direction that we never expected. We never expected that we would have to endure such an abuse of power against a defenseless being,” he concludes.