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PROVO — Angela Puertas' quiet neighborhood near 1180 North and 2600 West has gone to the pigs — literally.
She and her neighbors got a rude awakening Saturday morning. "I came outside and saw pigs in the street," she said.
Puertas lives next to a farm full of chickens, turkeys and pigs. Neighbors say they've spent thousands of dollars to keep pigs from escaping and ruining their property, but it just keeps happening.
The latest "escape" resulted in about 20 pigs roaming the neighborhood. Puertas captured cellphone video of them feasting on her lawn. The problem, she said, has been going on for the past year.
"I've had to call animal control over 55 times," Puertas said. "I have animal control on speed dial — that's how often that this happens."
Shelly Beagley, another resident in the neighborhood, is just as frustrated as Puertas. "I've got turkeys up on my roof, sliding down the solar panels," she said.
Beagley said the problem has cost her some serious money too. She and another neighbor have spent "upwards of $3,000," she said.
The owner of the animals, however, has an entirely different story about what's happening. Matt Baker said his 7-acre farm is under attack.
"Part of the problem I've had — literally, the neighbors here are intentionally sabotaging the fences," Baker said. "I've had the gates and locks cut so animals can get out."
He believes his neighbors are setting the sows free on purpose so they can stack up violations against him.
Neighbors say that's just turkey talk.
"It's completely ridiculous," Puertas said. "Why would I want these giant pigs running around my children? It scares me."
Brown said while he's taken steps like putting up extra fencing to keep the animals from getting out, "farming in not an exact science." He also said he's happy to take care of any damage caused by his animals.
"There's nothing that you can guarantee in life, so I've always done the best that I can to make sure that they stay in," he said.
KSL's calls to Provo City and animal control were not returned Saturday, but we plan to follow up on this story.
