Last month, the New York City health department received an anonymous complaint that a farm animal was being kept as a pet in a Staten Island home.

City inspectors’ subsequent visit to the home created an uproar in the Tottenville neighborhood, where Michael and Loriann Gannone lived with the animal, a pygmy pig named Lucy whom they adopted from family friends in 2010.

The department told the Gannones that Lucy would have to leave, since farm animals are illegal in New York City. Failure to comply would mean fines as high as $18,000, the family told The Staten Island Advance, which first reported the story.

Neighbors and family friends created a social media hashtag, wrote petitions and recruited local lawmakers to help keep the pig with her family. Lucy is 14, on the older side for a pig, and her health is starting to flag, Mr. Gannone said.

In a video on Instagram last week, Mr. Gannone appealed directly to Mayor Eric Adams for help while Ms. Gannone, sitting with Lucy on a couch, said she would “sacrifice my everyday life” to take care of her pig, “like everybody does for their children.”

“If you want to take my pig,” Ms. Gannone said tearfully, “take me too.”

On Monday, the city answered their pleas. Mr. Adams announced on social media that Lucy could stay with her family, and that the city would not take punitive action.