A Pet Pig Got Loose in Arcata. Hours Later, Someone Slaughtered Her

Lost Coast Outpost ^ | Saturday, March 30 | Andrew Goff

[RedMonqey]

A local family is devastated after their pet pig Princess got loose and was killed for meat by an opportunistic community member. Now that person could be facing charges.

“She’s very sweet,” Princess’s owner Carrie Hogan told the Outpost, still referring to the animal in the present tense. “She’s not aggressive. She likes to be around people.”

Last Saturday morning, Princess, a near-400 pound Hampshire cross pig, escaped from her pen at a residence on Park Street on Fickle Hill in Arcata and took a high-profile jaunt around the neighborhood, occasionally stopping to graze in open front yards. The swine’s unauthorized outing drew the attention of concerned neighbors, and by 9 a.m. her exploits were featured on Humboldt Paws Cause’s Facebook page.

[DivineMomentsOfTruth]

Too bad Princess wasn’t wearing a collar with tags. Although that probably would not have deterred the the pig who murdered her.

[goodtomato]

I did not see it the first time, Thanks for posting this story!

[Texan5]

People who live in burbs should not keep livestock animals as pets-you are right-they should stick to dogs, cats and birds-other than chickens, etc...

A lot of people here have pet pigs and livestock pigs-the dwarf, pot bellied ones and other small breeds are most popular for both pets and food-and there are several pet sows that like to get loose and wander the road. We all know what the neighbors’ pigs look like, what their names are-and if you see one loose, you pen it behind your fence and call the neighbor to come get their pig-if you butchered the pig, you would be looking at a charge of theft of livestock, a fine, etc-that is after the pig’s owner came after you and gave you the mother of all beatdowns for eating their pet-and livestock is expensive...

A few neighbors get their pet sows bred and sell the piglets for whatever purpose someone wants to buy them for-no questions asked-and the small/dwarf breeds of pig are just as delicious as any of the larger variety-a pig is a pig...

[RedMonqey]

I've got a word for PETA

"SQUEAL!"

[lee martell]

A lot of this is the owner’s fault for not having adequate fencing and not having any ID tags or collar on Ms Piggy.

[Rio]

McKinleyville, maybe. But I figured Arcata hippies would want to commune with the pig.

[Hieronymus]

One point from the article, or the other thread—”Princess” was nearly 400 pounds. Controlling such an animal is a little out of the league of most suburbanites.

[RedMonqey]

"This butcher sounds like a world class a-hole.”

Maybe so but city people don't know what they are getting into when they get a "cute, little pink piglet"

They eventually turn into hogs or sows and they are bit more to care for than your average Yorkie. And they are prodigious eaters. And their crap isn't as sweet smelling.

The original owners evidently didn't have a proper pen to contain the critter.

And like the Easter bunnies or ducklings, their adorablness wears thin by summer and the kiddies don't care for them. So the adults get rid of them. And not always to the nearest shelter.

We have a farm on a highway and every year we have to see the castoffs of last years pets. It doesn't help we live in a very transitory communities and people don't always bring their pets to the new home.

This world class a-hole” might have had plenty of castoffs and figured no one was coming(feeding a hog can get expensive unless you have an end use for it) There's lots of A Holes in these type stories.

[CaliforniaCraftBeer]

[Windflier]

alot

a lot

[RedMonqey]

A lot of this is the owner’s fault for not having adequate fencing and not having any ID tags or collar on Ms Piggy.

Agreed. The cute picket fences that kept the cute little piglet in their backyard won't(and didn't) keep a grown sow on their property. They needed "pig wire" with stout cedar posts and boards across the tops and bottoms to keep them from rooting a hole under it or push the pig wire down. And a good sturdy gate with locks so the hog doesn't "learn" how to unlock the gate(Yep, they are very smart... for a barnyard animal)

[bigbob]

Maybe Amish really did this one

[RedMonqey]

“Root, Hog or Die”

(Snicker, snicker)

Mmmmmmmmmmmm. Porkin’!

[Berlin_Freeper]

This little piggy made it to market...

[RedMonqey]

Maybe Amish really did this one

They certainly know how!

They make some really good "summer sausage" around here.

Mmmmmmm Summer Sausage!

[a fool in paradise]

>>“She’s very sweet,”

Chuy says “and HOW! that pork was tasty!”

[Vermont Lt]

He had it for a short while. And i’ve Raised pigs. And slaughtered then. This guy was a jerk.

[Tired of Taxes]

Yep. This was someone’s pet. The guy promised an officer he’d watch it until the owner returned. Instead, he slaughtered it.

[Lurker51]

The fence wasn’t neccesarily inadquate, the pig could’ve been let out by a utility worker. My father’s girlfriend (now wife) had a pot-bellied pig that got out once when I was staying with them. It turned out that the guy who came to read the electrical meter had let it out accidentally, but didn’t do a damn thing about it. Fortunately, the family dog who got out at the same time, came back to let me know that something was amiss. She (the family dog) led me right to the pig, thankfully, because I probably would’ve been blamed had anything happened to it.

[lee martell]

That dog deserves a medal, or maybe a roasted pork chop.