Rescue mission planned for abandoned potbellied pigs

A group that re-homes animals, have appealed for farmers to help catch two pot-bellied pigs that were abandoned outside Limavady.

Bronagh McAtasney, part of a team that runs Facebook page Pets Lost and Found Northern Ireland, has said that a rescue spot lined up for the pigs may be lost if they cannot be caught soon. There are also concerns that the pigs could be shot if they pose a hazard to road users.

Bronagh said that the Facebook group received a message from a farmer on Tuesday March 14, who said that she found a pregnant pig running around on the New Line Road.

“She had this pig wandering about and it was quite friendly and she was feeding it. She managed to get it into barn for one night, but it went out the next day and didn’t come back. When it did come back, it brought a piglet with it,” Bronagh said.

“Since then this woman has been trying to catch them and get them into a barn. She came to us looking for help and we’ve organised a rescue place for the pigs and transport from her place to the rescue spot, but she can’t catch the pigs.”

Bronagh said that a man attempted to catch the pigs over the weekend, but was unsuccessful. There are concerns that the mother is becoming too thin, as it is suspected she is giving any food she finds to the piglet.

She said that it was “very, very odd” that the two Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs, a breed which are kept as pets, were abandoned.

“They’ve not just been on a farm and got out, they’ve been specially bred. They are really, really expensive to buy. Somebody would have had to have gone out of their way to find this pig,” she said.

“I would hazard a guess that somebody has taken this pig on and found that it was more than they wanted to deal with. Maybe they thought they were doing a good thing by turning it loose but they’re not really able to cope. They’re not wild animals.”

“What you find a lot of the time is that people buy them and they’re very cute and very tiny, then they just become massive. They would be bigger than a large dog.”

She said that no-one has named the pigs yet as all efforts are going towards catching them.

“They probably should be called Bonnie and Clyde or something, because they’re an escaped pair,” she said.

“They need to be somewhere safe where people can look after them and come and see them, because they’re beautiful creatures. If we can get them at least safe and have a vet look at them, then it’s just a matter of finding a petting zoo or perhaps a private owner.”

Bronagh said that she contacted the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) about the pigs. They said that would not come out to check on the pigs’ health, but may shoot them if they pose a hazard.

The PSNI have also said that they are concerned that the pigs could become a hazard to road users and that they may shoot them.

Pets Lost and Found Northern Ireland have appealed for local farmers to help catch the pigs. To get involved, send a private message to the Facebook page.

Pets Lost and Found Northern Ireland advise and assist in reuniting people across the north with their lost and found pets. They aim to look after often overlooked animals, such as ill or elderly pets in pounds.

“All animals that come into our care are vet checked, vaccinated, wormed and spayed/neutered. All homes are home-checked and where necessary references obtained from your vet,” Bronagh said.

The group relies solely on donations. If you wish to donate, you can send money via PayPal to  HYPERLINK "mailto:[email protected]" \t "_blank" [email protected].