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A man in New York state is facing a legal case that centers around his pet pig.
纽约州的一名男子正面临一起有关他的宠物猪的官司。
Wyverne Flatt sees Ellie the potbellied pig not as a farm animal, but as "family."
在怀文·弗拉特看来，大腹便便的猪艾莉不是一只农场动物，而是“家人”。
Ellie is an emotional support animal.
艾莉是一只情感支持动物。
She helped ease Flatt's suffering during the end of his marriage and the death of his mother.
她帮助弗拉特在其婚姻结束和母亲去世期间缓解了痛苦。
But the village in Canajoharie, New York, where Flatt lives, sees Ellie differently.
但弗拉特所居住的位于纽约州卡纳乔哈里的村庄却对艾莉有不同的看法。
Officials say she is a farm animal and, as such, is barred from living within village borders.
官员们表示，她是一只农场动物，因此被禁止在村庄边界内生活。
Flatt's case is the latest in a series of debates about pets in American life.
弗拉特的案例是有关宠物在美国生活中的一系列争论中的最新一例。
The major questions are: What kinds of animals may people own?
主要的问题是：人们可以拥有什么样的动物？
What purposes may these animals serve?
这些动物有什么用途？
Where can they be kept and how may they be used?
它们可以在哪里养，人们可以如何利用它们？
Emotional support animals have become common in the U.S. in recent years.
近年来，情感支持动物在美国已经很普遍。
The American Humane Society defines them as companion animals who help their owners deal with difficulties linked to mental health conditions.
美国人道协会将它们定义为帮助其主人解决心理健康问题的伴侣动物。
The pets provide comfort by their presence, the Society says.
该协会表示，宠物的存在给人们带来了安慰。
But unlike service and therapy dogs, emotional support animals are not expected or trained to perform duties related to their owner's condition.
但与服务犬和治疗犬不同的是，人们不期望或训练情感支持动物来履行与主人病情相关的职责。
For years, airlines were required to permit emotional support animals to fly with their owners in the passenger areas of planes.
多年来，航空公司被要求允许情感支持动物与它们的主人一起乘坐飞机。
But, in 2020, U.S. transportation officials said airlines could bar emotional support animals from flights.
但是，2020年，美国交通官员表示，航空公司可以禁止情感支持动物乘坐飞机。
Flatt was living in South Carolina when he got Ellie in 2018.
2018年，弗拉特得到艾莉时住在南卡罗来纳州。
She was "about as big as a shoe," he said.
他说，她当时“和一只鞋差不多大”。
Ellie is now about 50 kilograms.
艾莉现在大约50公斤。
She moved north with Flatt in 2019 when he bought a home in Canajoharie.
2019年，在弗拉特在卡纳乔哈里买了一套房子后，她和弗拉特一起搬到了北方。
In October that year, a village official visited Flatt's property.
2019年10月，一名村官造访了弗拉特的家。
The official told Flatt that Ellie was legally barred from living there.
这位官员告诉弗拉特，法律禁止艾莉住在那里。
Six months later, Ellie was still there.
六个月后，艾莉还在那里。
The village began legal action.
该村开始采取法律行动。
Flatt was officially notified that he was in violation of a law banning farm animals in the village.
弗拉特被正式通知，他违反了禁止农场动物进入村子的法律。
"I could never dream of giving away somebody who's part of my family," Flatt said recently as he patted the pig in his kitchen.
最近弗拉特在厨房里轻拍着艾莉时说：“我从未想过要把我的家人送走。”
"She's very smart. She's more intelligent than my dogs."
“她很聪明。她比我的狗还聪明。”
The village's legal filing calls the pig a possible public health risk.
该村的法律文件称这头猪可能会对公共健康构成威胁。
It also argues that openly ignoring housing rules leads to a lawless community.
它还指出，公然无视住宅规定会产生一个无法无天的社区。
The village also argues that it is willing to make reasonable accommodations, but that Flatt never met the legal requirements.
该村还辩称，它愿意做出合理的住所安排，但弗拉特从未达到法律要求。
A trial was set to start on March 22, but it has been delayed.
审判原定于3月22日开始，但已被推迟。
If found guilty, Flatt could face jail time or have the pig taken from him, his lawyer says.
弗拉特的律师说，如果弗拉特被判有罪，他可能会面临牢狱之刑，或者把他的猪从他身边带走。
Flatt is not the first person to have issues with housing laws.
弗拉特并不是第一个有住宅法律纠纷的人。
In 2019, a family in Buffalo, New York, lost a case concerning their potbellied pig named Pork Chop.
2019年，纽约州布法罗的一户人家输了一场有关他们的大腹便便的猪（名叫“猪排”）的官司。
The family said Pork Chop was an emotional support animal for their daughter-in-law.
这家人说，“猪排”是他们儿媳的情感支持动物。
But, a court ruled that Pork Chop had to live elsewhere.
但是，法院裁定“猪排”必须住在别处。
In Indiana, a year earlier, a woman was ordered to move her pig for similar reasons.
一年前，在印第安纳州，一名妇女因类似的原因被勒令转移她的猪。
Still, many areas around the country permit pigs as pets.
尽管如此，美国许多地区还是允许猪作为宠物。
Some local laws set weight limits for pet pigs.
一些当地法律规定了宠物猪的体重限制。
Other laws permit only pot-bellied pigs.
其他法律只允许大肚猪。
Last month, Canajoharie approved a new, more detailed law concerning animal-keeping.
上个月，卡纳乔哈里通过了一项有关动物饲养的更详细的新法律。
Farm animals are still banned from living in the village.
农场动物仍被禁止住在该村。
But, the new law provides clearer information on how residents can request a reasonable accommodation for emotional support animals.
但是，新法律就居民如何为情感支持动物申请合理的住所提供了更清晰的信息。
Flatt said he has received offers from people to house Ellie outside the village, but he plans to fight to keep her.
弗拉特说，他已经收到了人们的提议，即让艾莉住在村外，但他计划争取让她留下来。
I'm John Russell.
约翰·罗素为您播报。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
