In the Dotte dispatch: Pigs sleep on the bed & couch in KCK home. See inside
Editor’s note: The following is from this week’s In the Dotte newsletter, published weekly on Tuesdays. You can sign up here to get them delivered to your inbox.
Good morning, Wyandotte County!
“Home” has plenty of different meanings. To some, it’s a quiet escape. To others, it’s a person.
Well, in the case of one KCK couple, “home” means a house packed with six pigs, weighing more than 100 pounds. One uses a wheelchair. Another hops around on three legs.
I’m Sofi Zeman, your guide through all things KCK. Let’s get to it.
Emily McLeod and her husband Dave Jennings never imagined that they’d make pets out of a cohort of rescue pigs. And yet, their home is now a sanctuary for their porky pals Polly, Gerald, Henry, Elvis, Maxwell and Walter.
“They live in the lap of luxury,” Jennings said. “They love air conditioning in the summer. They all lounge around the wood stove in the winter. They have the best life.”
But some of these pigs — and hundreds being rescued in the KC area — went through quite a bit, including abuse and neglect, before they made their way to paradise.
Dave and Emily told my colleague Eric Adler how they ended up with six pigs — and how a midnight S.O.S. email connected the couple to a rescue network that’s saved over 600 pigs around the metro.
Spoiler alert — there is no such thing as a “teacup” pig.
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And, if you have questions about Wyandotte County or a tip about what else I should look into, please email me at szeman@kcstar.com.
Sofi’s selects
⚖️ A local navy veteran, who “was a very hands-on dad,” died after contracting a deadly infection following open-heart surgery at KU Med, his widow said in court. He’s not the only one.
🚨 After a KCK cop was charged with felony drug possession, my colleague Ben Wheeler found two more local officers have been charged with recent crimes including sexual battery.
Development in the Dotte
🪠 Fish or human feces often wash up in KCK homes during those merciless spring rains. A new project could stop that — but it’ll come with lots of road closures.
🥩 KC’s favorite barbecue contest — and other beloved events — will move to the American Royal’s new home in the Dotte . Here’s the schedule. See you there?
Save the date
💷 Want to learn where your tax dollars are going? The Unified Government is hosting its “DotteTalk” budget conversation at 6 p.m. today at the KCKCC TEC, 6565 State Ave.
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