Nebraska's most famous horse is officially an outlaw.

Peter rabbit is a horse being kept in Hickman city limits against the municipal code. 30 days ago, city officials notified Peter Rabbit's owners that the horse had to go, but he's still there and it's creating quite a controversy.

The City of Hickman has become overwhelmed with e-mails, calls and letters from horse lovers all over the world. They want the 30-year-old horse, Peter Rabbit, to stay right where he is; inside city limits where he's been nearly his whole life.

The city says, "No way."

Call after call and e-mail after e-mail, the interest in Peter Rabbit, the horse being evicted from Hickman City limits, has drawn interest not only from across the nation but the world.

'Horses are very sympathetic characters," said Emily Bausch, the Hickman utility and codes director. "Some people are kind of rude, cuss at us, call us names," she said of the calls they receive from people angered at the city for it's plans to evict Peter Rabbit.

It's all because of a 20-year-old city ordinance that says "nay" to livestock living in the city limits.

Last year, the city told the horse's owner, Harley Scott, that the horse had to go.

"He wanted the city to let him stay and just leave it alone. We tried to negotiate with him on annual vet certificates, but that failed," said Hickman City Administrator Brett Baker.

Finally, city officials gave the Scotts 30 days to move the horse saying Peter Rabbit had to be out by September,15.

"They're going to be cited. There will be a citation issued for every day they're not in compliance," said Baker.

The Scotts weren't around for comment but have told city officials in the past they refuse to move the horse because it was on the land, before the land was part of the city. Either way, the $100 dollar fines start Monday and the horse is still in the barn.

"The city attorney as made the decision that grandfathering does not exist, that's why he's out of compliance," said Baker.

However, even the rule of law hasn't stopped the mountain of horse lovers from protesting, and it's the city of Hickman learning the power of Peter Rabbit.

"To have one issue dominate a majority of our time... it's a huge change," said Bausch.

"We have a new respect for the power of the internet and the power of the media because this thing has really garnered some national attention and nationwide sympathy," said Baker.

Another angle to this story involves the property on which Peter Rabbit lives. The property is in city limits only because the owner, Jack Scott, related to Peter Rabbit's owner Harley Scott, asked for it to be voluntarily annexed almost two years ago.

Another unique twist to the case; Jack Scott sat on the city council 20 years ago and supported the ordinance prohibiting livestock in city limits.

The Scotts now have a lawyer who's told city officials, as well as media sources, that they will litigate this to the highest possible court.