A Somers Point city court judge has ruled that Morgan Slaughter is violating a city ordinance and can not keep her pet pig in her home.

Tuesday's ruling is the latest development in the case of Sheldon the pig, a Juliana/African pig mix who has been living in the Slaughter family's Somers Point home for a little over a year.

For much of that time, Slaughter has been battling with the city to keep the animal. Now she says she is brokenhearted and ashamed to be a resident of Somers Point.

For some background on this story, The Press of Atlantic City reports, "In early October, Slaughter received the first of several notices in the mail saying she had violated a city ordinance that prohibits livestock on residential property and had two weeks to get rid of her pet pig or risk 30 days in prison and a fine of as much as $2,000.

But because the city ordinance was amended Sept. 12, after she received the notice, a judge ruled she could keep the pig and would be grandfathered in. But she would have to apply for a $750 variance, which she didn’t do."

Tuesday's ruling imposed a $1000 fine on Slaughter for continuing to house the pig, with additional fines each day the animal remains.  However, the fine will be be reduced to $533 if she finds another home for Sheldon immediately., which Sheldon says she has done.

After this week's court ruling, Morgan Slaughter took to her "Operation Save Our Sheldon" Facebook page to voice her bitterness over the ruling.  Here is her Facebook posting...

"I have my very first broken heart......Tonight will be the first night Sheldon is forced out of his home. I am severely ashamed to be a resident of the town of SOMERS POINT. Ruling: $1000 fine in addition to a fine every day he is in my residence.

For those that thought I was in the wrong by not paying my way out of this one when a false back end deal with the president of the scandalous Somers Point Zoning Board was made, and felt the need to post regarding how I was trying to be an exception to the rule and be above the law...THE ZONING BOARD HAD NO INTENTION OF APPROVING THE VARIANCE THAT I HAD STARTED TO APPLY FOR!!!!! IT WAS ONLY A CHANCE FOR ME TO "BUY" MYSELF MORE TIME TO FIGHT AND APPEAL.

$750.00 variance application

$500.00 city engineer escrow

$400.00 property survey

$100.00 tax record

To City Council and the Zoning Board: you may have gotten the better of me but I assure you, you have not gotten the best of me! As you lay in bed tonight I hope you can sleep comfortable with your children in their beds knowing that my son is balling his eyes out now that the pig that has been his family pet for over a year has been forced to leave his home. I am thinking a 150 lb vicious dog that will be taught to bark and attack on command will be our next "family" pet...as that will be "legal" in your eyes... While our harmless, sweet, loving pig is the apparent terror of the town! Be ashamed of yourselves, be very very ashamed, as there is someone much much bigger than myself looking down on you and passing judgment.

As the wife of the Zoning Officer Mr. McBrien of Somers Point decided to "like" my page as to spy on it's activity, I am sure she will pass along a huge thank you to her husband for helping in ripping apart my family!"

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