New York Man Challenges Legal Battle To Keep His 100-Pound Emotional Support Pig

A new law has the owner of an emotional support pig very upset.

And now, a 100-pound potbelly pig is the center of a criminal investigation.

The matter is under scrutiny in the upstate New York village of Canajoharie, where the pig’s owner Wyverne Flatt, 54, has been harboring the pig as the new law finds the emotional support animal couldn’t be legally kept in his home.

Flatt is ready for the criminal trial despite the risk of prison time and an $18,000 in a civil fine. He is prepared to defend his soothing swine named Ellie, saying that the town’s new legislation against keeping farm or domesticated animals aren’t suitable.

Flatt told The New York Post that he has “signed affidavits” from “most” of his neighbors, claiming they were unaware he even has a pig because apparently, it “makes no noise” and doesn’t “stink.”

“She’s cleaner than anybody else’s cat or dog. She’s smaller than just about anybody else’s dog in this town,” Flatt added.

“Years ago, I first just got her as a pet, not as an emotional support animal. But after I got her, I went through a really bad divorce, my mother passed away and all these things happened in life,” he said.

“I got used to her being around, she gets up on the couch and watches TV and snuggles up with me, she’s a real sweet little animal and she’s a part of my family.”

Flatt and Ellie had had an ongoing dispute with the local government for years, even before the unanimous new laws voted in on Tuesday, the Daily Gazette first reported.

The duo has appeared in court 14 times in just two years, he said.

Mayor Jeff Baker insists that the new village ordinances aren’t there to single out Flatt, according to the Gazette.

“The law stands for itself,” the mayor said. “It was on our agenda from years ago. We’ve had horses in the community, stuff like that.”

Local news reported that officials had previously accused Flatt of harboring Ellie inside an apartment in 2019.

“They’ve never been in my house to see my house or see the living conditions,” Flatt said, adding that he has “a very nice backyard” and is even remodeling his first floor.

“They’ve never seen her, they’ve never even asked to see a picture of her.”

A year later, Flatt was able to successfully register Ellie for life with United Support Animals as his own emotional support pet. He was then cleared to travel back to South Carolina with her.

That following fall, the town’s Village Health Officer Kenneth Riley wrote a letter discrediting Flatt’s efforts of having the pig registered.

“I spoke with the provider who was not aware of the size of the pig or the condition of the apartment caused by the very large pig living there. The provider has agreed this is not appropriate or healthy for the patient and has agreed to rescind her support of his keeping this ’emotional support pig,'” according to the letter obtained by the Gazette.

But Flatt called him out on it.

“I spoke with [the provider] recently, they told her I had a 350-pound farm hog living out back in my house,” Flatt said, mentioning that the provider would take his side if push came to shove.

“When we go to court, if she needs to be subpoenaed, she’s completely behind me,” he added.

When it comes to the fight against Ellie, Flatt reassures that he has seen nothing but the support of Ellie.

“Resoundingly, everybody thinks I’m right. I’ve got slews of lawyers calling me and are trying to help me out with this, telling me they can’t believe that this town is doing this,” he said.

Flatt also believes “they’re violating my civil rights.”

“I have the right to have an emotional support animal as long as she’s not a nuisance and she absolutely is not,” he added, noting he is a good-standing citizen with no criminal record. He faces up to six months in prison when the criminal trial begins on March 22 in the Palatine town court.

Flatt is even willing to do time for Ellie.

“I obviously am because I decided to take the jury trial instead of removing her,” he said. “She’s my pet and she’s like anybody’s pet. You come home from work, you hang out with your animals and you love on them. She’s happy here.”

Flatt is now up against a $25-a-day fine for keeping Ellie. His fines total at or above $18,000 in civil penalties.

“I don’t know why they’re coming after me so hard over my little pig. I don’t see how they can possibly keep spending money on this,” he said. “I pay a lot of taxes to live here in this little village. I feel like it’s very frivolous tax dollars being spent on this, it’s just crazy.”