A Euless teenager is on a mission to save her best friend that happens to be a pig.
Haley Rudolph has had her pet pig, Wesley, since he was a piglet.
"Almost three-and-a-half years, and he's almost four," she said.
Someone complained about Wesley, and Euless Animal Control stepped in because currently having him is against the law.
"They put a notice on my door," Rudolph said, "[Then] they put another notice on our door saying that if he wasn't out in 10 days they would have to take him."
She moved Wesley out of Euless quickly and into another home in Wiley until she could get everything worked out.
"It's insane because he hasn't done anything wrong. He's just a sweet pig," she said.
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Assistant City Manager Betsy Deck explained this is against a standing city ordinance.
"Pigs, hogs and sows are called out in that ordinance. I believe that ordinance has been on the books for about 30 years," Deck said.
Rudolph contends that Wesley is more than just livestock. She said he helps her heal.
"I suffer from anxiety [and] depression, and I'm on medication. I've had a lot of panic attacks," she said. "He cuddles with me. He'll calm me down."
But Wesley is not a registered service animal.
"Honestly it's terrifying because I can't imagine him not in my life," she said.
Rudolph now has the support of hundreds of people thanks to an online petition. In less than 24 hours nearly 1,000 people signed the petition, asking Euless to change the law.
Euless officials are ready to listen and have reached out to Rudolph to look for a solution.
"We absolutely work with our residents, as much as we can, within the confines of our ordinances and laws," Deck said.
Now, Rudolph continues gathering signatures and prepares to make a presentation to Euless City Council to ask them to amend the ordinance.
