Feeding the rescued animals at Mini-Pigs Inc., takes about three hours every morning. Most of the pigs live in wooded areas surrounded by fencing but a few of the older and crippled potbelly pigs roam freely next to the Hoyles' home. rdt View More Images from this story Visit the Photo Place

Bringing home the bacon

Culpeper pigs have a friend in Richmond.

By CHELYEN DAVIS

Date published: 1/11/2003

Culpeper pig sanctuary has a friend in Richmond

ICHMOND--Pigs may fly before state lawmakers approve new tax exemptions this year.

But Richard Hoyle would be happy as a pig in slop if they did.

Hoyle and his wife own the Culpeper pig sanctuary, Mini-Pigs Inc.

Hoyle got Del. George Broman, R-Culpeper, to introduce a bill that would grant a sales-tax exemption to "a nonlethal animal sanctuary specializing in the rescue and care of miniature [often called potbellied] pigs."

In other words, a home for unwanted pigs.

The Hoyles run the only such place in Virginia. Mini-Pigs is a nonprofit place for pigs that, because of age or illness, are unadoptable.

The Hoyles currently house 228 potbellied pigs, three full-sized farm pigs, 62 feral cats, seven dogs and one pygmy goat.

The pigs alone--who have a life span of more than 20 years--go through about 300 to 400 pounds of feed a day. Between the feed, the lumber for barns and fences, the medication and other supplies, the Hoyles spend every dollar they bring in. They already have a federal tax exemption, and figured a state exemption would save a few dollars for a sanctuary that relies totally on donations and usually operates in the red.

Last year, the sanctuary received--and spent--$80,000. With the sales tax at 41/2 percent, the Hoyles will save $3,600 in a year if the General Assembly approves his request for an exemption.

He's not holding out a lot of hope that will happen; he received a letter from the Department of Taxation confirming that his application for a tax waiver arrived, but warning him that due to the $2 billion budget hole lawmakers are trying to plug this session, they're unlikely to be granting many tax exemptions.

In most years, getting a tax exemption from the General Assembly isn't that hard. Sales and use tax exemptions usually fly through the legislature with little comment.

But this year, lawmakers are looking for every cent they can get. And that may leave Hoyle's pigs out in the cold.

If Hoyle's exemption fails this year, he may be able to ask his local supervisors for the exemption later on.

Last fall, Virginia voters approved a constitutional amendment that would allow local governing bodies, rather than the General Assembly, to approve property tax exemptions for nonprofit charitable organizations.

Broman's name heads the bill, but that's about as far as his involvement with the pig exemption goes.

The Hoyles needed him, as their local legislator, to sign their application for the tax exemption; he did, the state determined that the pig sanctuary does qualify for the exemption, and now Broman's name heads the bill.

Broman said he has put in tax exemptions and budget amendments this year, but included letters explaining that he put them in at the request of constituents and that he understands the budget problems.

"You put it in as a service to your con-stituent," Broman said. "As far as my knowledge of rescue facilities for potbellied pigs, I know more probably about raising zebras than I do that. I know zilch about it."

Date published: 1/11/2003