A family in the Crimson Ridge subdivision may be forced to give up their pet pig because of alleged violations of their neighborhood homeowners association’s rules.
In June, the Rookwood family received an email from the neighborhood HOA that due to concerns from neighbors, they were in violation of owning livestock because of their family pig, Shera. Their only solution: They must get rid of it.
“The livestock or miniature pig should be removed from the property in accordance with the Crimson Ridge Declaration of Restrictions,” the HOA stated in an email.
While the Rookwoods were hoping to talk about it at the next HOA meeting, Lea Rookwood said the letter made it clear that they had to comply.
“I figured, ‘Well OK, we’ll just talk about it at the next HOA meeting. But their language, it was very clear that I didn’t have a choice in the matter,” she said.
As it stands, the Rookwoods are looking to fight it.
“I still believe that their claims are baseless and that I’m being bullied,” she said.
The Crimson Ridge Homeowners Association did not return multiple attempts by the Johnson County Post to tell their side of the story.
The Rookwoods moved to Kansas in 2023
Now 7 years old, Shera was adopted by the Rookwoods in 2019 when they lived in California. With her son being allergic to dogs, the family thought a pig would be the next best thing.
“We went to great lengths to get her. She had to be flown from Idaho to Los Angeles,” Rookwood said.
Moving to the Hillcrest Farm neighborhood in Shawnee in 2022 with Shera, Lea said they didn’t encounter any problems with that HOA, which only required that she was spayed and given a Special Animal Permit for a large animal by the city, according to Shawnee Municipal Code.
Shera is the only pig registered in Shawnee, Doug Donahoo, Shawnee’s communication director, wrote in an email to the Post.
“The City of Shawnee provided a permit for Shera at the family’s previous home in Shawnee,” he said.
Because the Rookwoods moved to the Crimson Ridge neighborhood in May, they have to reapply for it, Donahoo added.
“Part of the special animal permitting process requires owners to establish their animal is allowed under any existing HOA regulations. The process requires the City gather feedback from neighbors within 200 feet of the animal owner’s property, that feedback is then used in the decision to approve or deny the special animal permit,” he said.
The family has reapplied for a new permit for Shera, Donahoo said.
Problems arise with the Crimson Ridge HOA
The disagreement between the Rookwoods and the Crimson Ridge HOA comes down to emails exchanged between both sides before the family bought their house in the neighborhood.
On April 15, before moving to their new house, Lea Rookwood contacted Steven Drumm, president of the neighborhood HOA, to make sure owning Shera wasn’t against the HOA’s rules.
That same day, Drumm admitted in an email to Rookwood that the request was something new to the HOA, but outlined the language in the HOA’s declarations that said “No animals, livestock, or poultry of any kind shall be raised, bred or kept on any lot” and said the HOA board would discuss it.
On April 16, he emailed her and said he received positive input from the HOA board. In a subsequent email on that same day, he said the HOA hadn’t formally taken up the request for Shera to live in the neighborhood, so no approval or denial was issued. He again referred to the HOA declarations he previously mentioned.
“The pig does not live here hence there is nothing to address and there is no problem. No agenda item is planned,” he stated in the email. “If there isn’t an issue, the Board is unlikely to ever add this to the agenda. Should there be a complaint, the board may consider it and the HOA Board may consider your opinion, the city of Shawnee’s, and facts as to why this is causing a problem before invoking the nuisance removal or other actions permitted by law.”
Drumm closed the email by stating: “Should you choose to move forward, you are welcome and you will have equal status as any other resident.”
In an interview with KCTV5, Drumm stated that the HOA had not approved a request for the Rookwoods to house a pig in the neighborhood.
“Ms. Rookwood asked for HOA approval of her pet pig before contracting her house purchase. Her request was explicitly NOT approved and the declaration language clearly prohibiting livestock was shared. The declarations are on file with Johnson County since 1999,” Drumm said.
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Rookwoods say they feel bullied
As Lea Rookwood feeds Shera carrots, her favorite food, in their backyard, she talks about feeling like she’s being targeted by some of her neighbors.
The concerns from neighbors stem from when they built a ramp on the deck for Shera to use to get better access to the backyard, Rookwood said.
“It was like a period of four days where she did not want to use the ramp. She was screaming, which is normal,” she said.
Rookwood said the issue pales in comparison to other problems in the neighborhood, like when a woman jogging was mauled by two dogs in August 2024 and the owner got to keep one of them.
“My pig is not hurting anybody. I mean, she literally hangs out on the deck and sunbathes, or she eats the grass,” she said.
Walking around with Shera, she shows off the communication they have, like when Shera wants to go inside to sleep in her pen or wants attention. Inside, Shera plays or goes to sleep. She’s completely house trained, Rookwood said.
“She is very much part of the family. We hang out with her, we nap with her, we play with her,” she said.
What’s next
The Rookwoods are unsure what the next step is for Shera. The HOA has yet to set another meeting, where the family hopes they can talk with them to state their case about Shera.
If they’re forced to move her, Rookwood said that they do have options. She said the family does have a half-acre of land in the city and if that doesn’t work, several animal sanctuaries in the area have reached out to offer their assistance.
Either way, Rookwood said they won’t ever fully let go of her.
“Even if you know someone does want her (and we) have to get rid of her, I would certainly need to be part of that picture, even if I just (have to) volunteer and hang out with Shera,” she said. “We need her in our life. She is our baby.”
Other Johnson County pet news: In light of pet shelter capacity woes, Overland Park tweaks pet license rules
