Dear Friends,

On behalf of the Officers of the Central California Potbellied Pig Society, I want to thank you for your support and participation in our organization. Looking back, we have had a very successful year. We welcomed new members and are working toward our goals and educating people to insure a safe and happy home for potbellied pigs.

In December, we were successful with our first potbellied pig rescue! A young female stray was found by the Clovis SPCA. They called for our help and we were so fortunate to find a loving home for her. We will share this story with you in our newsletter.

In retrospect, we began in 1995. Ms. Kelly Shank was motivated by the love for her pigs to successfully draft and lobby an ordinance amendment that allowed potbellied pigs as pets within the city of Clovis.

Last year, we celebrated another great accomplishment that included the City of Fresno amending an ordinance allowing potbellied pigs as pets!

Pat and Jorge Miranda were truly courageous when they were threatened with orders to remove Mr. Piggy from their home. Thanks to all of you who supported the Miranda’s and other potbellied pig owners in Fresno. A special thanks goes out to local veterinarians, Dr. Kahn and Dr. Hart.

These accomplishments opened to each of us a world of politics, politicians and laws that we probably never would have experienced if it were not for the love of our animals. I learned that it is a very long, very serious, sometimes frustrating, process to amend an ordinance. After all, you are changing a law.

We held meetings. We solicited advise and followed it. We contacted and educated each member representing the Fresno City Council, the Planning Development Department Committee and leaders, the Planning Commission, Neighborhood Committees, the news and media.

We may not have impressed such professional profiles. We lacked experience in public speaking. We lacked previous political support and contributions to our city districts and leaders. We lacked credibility. We had a wonderful show of support from several potbellied pig owners, friends and neighbors but nothing like the crowd for the Baseball Stadium Project.

We lacked much but we did not lack in two important areas. We did not lack a respect for the "system" and we did not lack a genuine concern for the future of the potbellied pigs in jeopardy.

Many of the representatives recognized the abundant love and facts we expressed about our animals and what we had in abundance was not ignored. Some shared this common bond or understood how it may exist. Through education, those that listened gave it enough value to motivate their decisions to support us, the love we expressed for our potbellied pigs and the care that is necessary.

All of us as members have an abundant love for animals. In fact, our personalities may tend to spoil our pets more than the average pet owner. This may explain why we have become united as the perfect match for our potbellied pigs who demands an excessive amount of love and attention.

Please join us in 1998 so that we may make it a better year for our potbellied pigs and for us as well.

Best wishes to you and your animal friends,

Sincerely,

Mary Holley