June 9, 2025, 4:52 am | Read time: 3 minutes
Mini pigs are often seen as cute and loyal pets. However, anyone who thinks they are legally equivalent to dogs or cats is greatly mistaken. A court ruling has shown that keeping them in residential areas can have significant consequences–and may even be prohibited.
Mini pigs are becoming increasingly popular as pets. However, according to a recent ruling by the Higher Administrative Court of Koblenz, keeping mini pigs in residential areas can be illegal–despite their supposed similarity to pets like dogs or cats.
Are Mini Pigs Allowed in Residential Areas?
Although mini pigs are becoming more popular as pets, their keeping is not automatically allowed everywhere. As the Higher Administrative Court (OVG) Koblenz (Case No.: 8 A 11067/24.OVG) recently decided, housing such animals in residential areas can violate building regulations. The legal portal “anwaltsauskunft.de” refers to this fundamental decision.
The decisive factor for the ban, according to the court, is the potential odor and noise disturbances that pig keeping can cause–which are considered atypical in residential areas. Residential areas are primarily for living. The keeping of animals that disrupt this purpose is generally prohibited there.
The Specific Case in Question
In the specific case, a property owner kept two mini pigs in a general residential area. In addition to a hut, the animals had an outdoor enclosure, built without a building permit–and surrounded by single-family homes. The building authority then prohibited the animal keeping. The owner filed a lawsuit, citing an exemption for small animal keeping.
His argument: The mini pigs were not comparable to ordinary domestic pigs but rather should be considered like dogs–as hobby animals. However, the administrative court and, in the second instance, the OVG Koblenz dismissed the lawsuit. The reasoning: Mini pigs are not among the typical small animals whose keeping is permitted in residential areas.
Mini Pigs Are Not Considered “Small Animals”
Even though their name might suggest otherwise, mini pigs are only small as piglets. According to the court, adult specimens can weigh up to 150 kilograms–a crucial criterion for classification. They are therefore considered “large animals,” whose keeping in residential areas is regularly prohibited. Additionally, owners must comply with animal welfare and disease control regulations, which entail additional requirements.
A comparison with dogs or cats, as the plaintiff argued, does not hold up in the judges’ view. “It might be different with chickens,” explains Swen Walentowski from the German Lawyers’ Information Service.
Dispute over 7-meter cross in the garden ends up in court
How to Prevent a Pigeon Nest on Your Balcony
Neighbor lights a fire pit in the garden every evening – are fire pits allowed?
Chickens and Bees: Exceptions in Residential Areas
In fact, the keeping of chickens in residential areas is permissible under certain conditions. According to Walentowski, chickens legally fall under the category of small animals and can be kept in a residential area as long as they are kept appropriately and do not disturb neighbors. However, each case must be examined individually–for example, regarding the number of animals or whether a rooster is present.
Bees also enjoy a certain special status: They may be kept in the garden, provided their flight paths are not dangerous and they do not pose a nuisance to the neighborhood. It is important that beehives are located at a sufficient distance from the house.
With material from dpa