Runaway pig found tied to a tree on Hamilton’s Beach Strip

[scotto]

Posted with permission from the Hamilton Spectator
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The City’s Animal Services is investigating an “altercation” between a runaway pot-bellied pig and a passerby on the Beach Strip.

Debbie Spence, a spokesperson for the City of Hamilton’s Animal Services, said the pig apparently got loose from the yard of its owner and the passerby may have been bitten.

Police and Animal Control were called to the scene near Bayside Avenue and Beach Boulevard around 1:15 p.m. after reports about a distraught pig.

While police were on scene, the animal’s owner was located and the pig was returned.

Spence said Animal Control is investigating whether to lay charges. A spokesperson from the SPCA said that organization was not contacted about the incident.

The Hamilton Spectator

 

[Porky]

well thats bizarre

 

[Sharla1]

The pig has since been quarintined.

I know some people I would love to tie to a tree. :devil:

 

[scotto]

Have you ever watched American Hoggers? Those pigs are nasty critters.
http://www.aetv.com/american-hoggers/

 

[Sharla1]

Yea I've seen that show. They sure are down right vicious and they sure have a lot of them there.


Some pot bellys are ok. Here is a pic of Fred that was in my husky's obedience training class. And he was a great pig that went onto agility racing as you can see in the pic. I' m not sure he is still alive as they have about the same lifespan as a husky. And it's been almost 5 years since I had to put my husky down. She was 11 then I think. Some of the pot belly's can get huge but Fred wasn't that large.

 

[scotto]

Reminds me of the pig races that had at the pumpkin patch place near St. Kitts. They were the best.

 

[scotto]

Runaway pig earns owner $125 ticket

Ted Hologroski couldn’t resist joining the hog-wild chase.

The Burlington man was driving to work when he noticed a woman walking quickly down the sidewalk, protectively holding a small white dog out of the reach of a pot-bellied pig in hot pursuit.

“I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was a pig, a real pig … I had to turn the car around and go back to see what happened,” said Hologroski, who had been driving down Beach Boulevard towards Stoney Creek on Tuesday around 1 p.m.

“It was nipping at her ankles, jumping up at her. I’m sure it was the dog that set it off.”

The Vietnamese pot-bellied pig had escaped a nearby fenced property, according to animal control supervisor Calum Burnett.

The grey, droopy-bellied pet “grabbed hold” of the unidentified victim, but the bite injuries were minor, he said.

Hologroski thought the woman looked “pretty scared,” nonetheless. He caught up to the chase again near Bayside Avenue, just in time to watch a rodeo rescue.

“This guy found a rope and kind of lassoed (the pig) and tied it to a telephone pole,” said Hologroski. “That’s when the pig went crazy.”

The pet porker, which Hologroski estimated at around 50 or 60 pounds, was “obviously upset” about his sudden confinement.

That’s when Hologroski called 911.

The dispatcher sounded skeptical at first — then amused, according to Hologroski’s recollection. But shortly after, police cars and an animal control vehicle arrived.

“It was pretty comical … they talked about trying to get it into the (animal control) truck, but that didn’t go anywhere,” he said. “Then one of the cops managed to calm the pig down, talking really nicely … It goobered all over her pants.”

A nearby resident recognized the peeved pot-belly and alerted the apologetic owner, who quickly collected the animal.

Pigs of any sort aren’t allowed in urban Hamilton under the new animal control bylaw, but this particular animal is legal and licensed — one of 11 grandfathered pot-bellied pigs still permitted in suburban back yards.

Allowing animals to be “at large” isn’t legal, however, so an animal control investigator opted Thursday to give the owner, whom Burnett wouldn’t name, a $125 ticket.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a pig or a dog, you have to keep it on your property,” he said. “The message needs to get out: Check your fences.”

mvandongen@thespec.com

905-526-3241 | @Mattatthespec