The Whitman County Humane Society staff recently welcomed an unusual animal. Pullman residents can now adopt the shelter’s first-ever miniature pot-bellied pig named Kitty.  

Assistant Director of Shelter Operations Kylene Daschofsky said owners surrendered Kitty to the shelter Jan. 16 when they became too busy to care for him. Daschofsky said Kitty is an indoor pig and can make a great pet for those who can handle the responsibility.

“Caring for pigs is a lot like caring for dogs; they take up a lot of your time and are a little abnormal,” Daschofsky said. “It can be daunting.”

Daschofsky said Kitty should have no problem getting adopted because she is very social and loves people, dogs and cats.

“He likes to hang out with cats, and we think that’s why he responds so well to the name ‘Kitty,’” Daschofsky said. “He also loves pillows. He’ll toss them in the air and run around with them.”

Kitty will soon find a new home and new pillows to play with. However, pigs were not always welcome within Pullman city limits. City Planning Director Pete Dickinson said he does not know why Pullman banned pigs to begin with, but the ban was in place for 100 years.

Dickinson said Pullman City Council discovered a man and his pet miniature pig in March of 2013 living in a manufactured home off Bishop Boulevard.

“We talked to the man about relocating himself and his pig, but he suggested the city change the rules instead,” Dickinson said.

After sifting through 100-year-old records, Dickinson said he could not find any clues in the records as to why pet pigs were not allowed in Pullman.

“It was a mystery to us as to why pigs were banned in the city,” Dickinson said. “I guess they had a bad rap for being messy and tearing up yards, so the city just decided to ban them.”

The matter went through a lengthy process of regulation change at the City Council. In July 2014 the ban was officially lifted. There is, however, still an application process and requirements involved with owning a pig in Pullman. Dickinson said pigs cannot weigh more than 150 lbs. and stand more than 22 inches tall. The owner’s home must be a certain size and the pig needs to be up-to-date on its immunizations.

Aside from Kitty, Dickinson said there are currently no pigs in town.

“We’re looking to place Kitty in a new home during the next week,” Daschofsky said. “He will have no problem adapting to a new family.”