She was a big gal out on the town, wandering the suburban streets of Pomona on a sunny Sunday morning.
A concerned passerby spotted her eating food on the road and called her in.
She was a black-haired pot-bellied pig, with a tummy that dragged the ground and a perky little tail. And she wasn’t supposed to be on Cypress Street, where animal control officers with the Inland Valley Humane Society & SPCA found her on the morning of Nov. 1 and took her in.
Where the stray porker came from, nobody knows, said IVHS Humane and Animal Control Manager Favi Leon.
But although the pig, estimated to be around 3 years old, is a little overweight — 155.8 lbs, to be exact — it is clear she had been well cared for before a caller reported her to the IVHS as a swine on the loose, Leon said.
“Oh my god, it’s healthy,” Leon said. “Somebody loved this pig because it’s well-groomed. It’s like a princess pig. She’s amazing. She’s very chill.”
No one has claimed the chunky swine, so she is now up for adoption.
Since her rescue, the unnamed pig has been staying at the IVHS shelter in Pomona, where she has charmed staff with her low-key demeanor. Although other shelter pigs — yes, there have been others — have been visibly stressed out by barking dogs, this one “just nuzzles up on her blankets, and doesn’t seem bothered by the barking, Leon said.
She’s a girl with a healthy appetite, getting extra carrots and cactus, which she loves, Leon said.
When a caller reported her to the IVHS, they thought she was being dumped on the street because there was food on the ground nearby, but that could not be proved, said Leon, who added that it’s possible the pig lived in the area and escaped.
Two animal control officers, including a new officer who was stoked to find a pig, put a rope around her belly and loaded her into an oversized dog crate and onto a truck, Leon said.
Like all rescued animals — which have included peacocks, goats in addition to many cats and dogs — the pig was given a thorough health check by a veterinarian before being made ready for adoption, Leon said.
She added that the city of Pomona allows the keeping of pot-bellied pigs as domestic pets under strict guidelines and that anyone interested in adopting this one should familiarize themselves with the municipal code.
Until she finds her forever home, Leon said, the big girl is happy.
“Believe me,” Leon said, “she is not missing a meal.”
In August, a runaway piglet that eluded pursuers in West Hollywood led to video of its escape attempts posted on TikTok. Internet fans dubbed him Wilbur.
He was eventually caught taken to the West Los Angeles Animal Shelter, which put the animal up for adoption five days later because no owner had come forward. Wilbur is about 11 weeks old and weighed 17 pounds.
His was an only-in-Hollywood story. He was adopted by a foundation headed by Grammy-award-winning songwriter Diane Warren.
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