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County animal shelter rescues pig, seeks owners or adopted home

By MICHAEL BOYLAN
mboylan@TheCitizenNews.com

Though the staff of the Fayette County Animal Shelter is used to picking up stray cats and dogs, every now and then they are called to pick up an unusual animal. In the past, the shelter has been called out to rescue herons or snakes and have even been called out for bats that had flown inside someone’s home. The shelter received one of the more unusual calls in its history Wednesday when asked to come out and get a pig.

The pig, a 250- to 300-pound female, had taken up residence in front of someone’s house on Sandy Creek Road. It had apparently been there for a few days but, as it started moving again, it became a public safety concern, especially since it was so close to a busy road. Shelter director Miguel Abi-Hassan and shelter employees Christian Patrick and Steve Barella went out to rescue the pig and get it back to the shelter. The job took a lot of man power and over 45 minutes.

“It was not an easy task,” said Abi-Hassan, who added that they did not sedate the pig. “She was actually fine until the leash went on.”

That was when the pig got a little abrasive. It took some time to calm the pig down and help it up a ramp. Eventually, the pig was loaded up into one of the animal shelter’s vehicles and brought back to the shelter.

The shelter was closed yesterday due to the Veteran’s Day holiday, but Abi-Hassan will begin looking for a home for the pig today.

“We don’t know who she belongs to, but she’s a sweet pet,” said Abi-Hassan, who is hoping the pig’s owners will be found. If not, he will try to place the pig at a rescue facility or find a good home for it. It will not end up on anyone’s plate this Thanksgiving.

If you have any information on the pig, phone the Fayette County Animal Shelter at 770-487-6450.