Family fights for Wilbur the pig

HOUSTON, Aug. 31 (UPI) -- A Houston-area family says their Vietnamese potbellied pig is a pet, not livestock, and are fighting a neighborhood association's attempt to evict him.

The fight has made Wilbur, named after the hero of E.B. White's children's classic, "Charlotte's Web," a celebrity, The Houston Chronicle reported Wednesday. Fans follow him on his Facebook page and watch him eat his three meals a day on Wilburcam.

Since Alex Sardo gave his wife Missy the pig for Christmas, he has grown from a tiny piglet to a heftier 65 pounds, and the couple expect him to grow some more, possibly to as much as 120 pounds. But they say he is as much a household pet as a dog or a cat.

But the Thicket at Cypresswood Community Association in Spring, Texas, disagrees. The association told the Sardos that Wilbur could not stay in April and this month gave them 30 days to get rid of him.

The Sardos have now sued the association. Their lawyer argues that Wilbur is not livestock because he is not being raised for his meat or hair or to provide labor on a farm.