The state agriculture department wants the owner to cage her cats
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
The only pig museum in America might have to close its doors if its owner does not fulfill state agriculture department requirements.
Cindy Brenneke owns and operates Where Pigs Fly Farm & Pigs Aloft Museum near Linn, Mo. The museum is home to nearly 40,000 hog-related ceramic, wood and antique collectibles, making it the second largest of its kind in the world. Only a museum in Germany has more swine-related items.
The 63-acre farm is home to sheep, goats, pigs and livestock that Brenneke raises commercially. She also has a petting zoo and an animal sanctuary for 400 animals, which include dogs, horses and nearly 100 cats.
The farm and museum are also popular tourist attractions and learning tools, Brenneke says.
“We’ve had visitors and artifact donations from as far away as Japan and China,” she told Farms.com today. “We’re actually having a group of guests from India come to the farm today.
“When people come here they don’t just get to see the unique pig items, but they also get to learn about life on a farm. They interact with the animals and they ask me questions about agriculture.”
But her felines have drawn the attention of the Missouri Department of Agriculture.
A state ag inspector gave Brenneke an ultimatum earlier in the week: place all cats in cages by Dec. 9 or she’ll be forced to close.
Cindy Brenneke
KOMU.com photo
“It’s a crazy thing for them to say because we need these cats,” she said. “This is a working farm and they act as mouse control for us.”
If Brenneke wants to keep the cats uncaged and ultimately her farm gate open for guests, she would not be able to charge entry fees or take donations. She would have to forfeit her USDA-issued exhibitor license.
The issue has become a bit of a game of tug-of-war, she said.
“The USDA said I can keep my exhibitor license because they don’t consider cats farm animals,” she said. “They understand that we need our cats out to help control mice. You would think the Missouri Department of Ag would understand that too.”
Brenneke is confident she will be able to continue operating her agribusiness like normal, with the help of the community.
She started an online petition six days ago and has encouraged supporters to contact their representatives to help keep her farm open.
More than 15,000 people have signed the petition so far.
“The community is going to come through for me,” she said. “And really, if the USDA can overlook this cat issue, I find it hard to believe that the Missouri ag department wouldn’t be able to.”
Julie Smith/News Tribune photo