This 200 pound pot-bellied pig was found abandoned in Cullman County.

Well, I’ve got a new hero, Cullman County Animal Control Officer, Dwain Floyd. The headline of an article in the Cullman Times was ‘Alabama county faces an ‘epidemic’ of abandoned pot-bellied pigs’…

‘it is an epidemic around here it seems like…’ Floyd explained.

Epidemic might be an exaggeration, I think there were four in the last few months but..The article explained that pot-bellied pigs outgrow their homes. People can’t resist buying a cute little 20 lb. pig and aren’t prepared when they gain up to 200 pounds and quickly outgrow their pen. Okay, now this worries me. I’m an animal lover. I have never thought about pot-bellied pigs becoming so popular! I know on the show ‘HeeHaw’ years ago- they seemed affectionate with their pigs and on ‘Green Acres’, one of the ‘pets’ was a pig. Who doesn’t love- Wilbur in ‘Charlotte’s Web’ ?? Inform me here- is owning a potbellied pig fashionable these days? I read up about it- there are micro-pigs, teacup pigs, even mini-pigs. Someone said the breeders do what they can to keep them cute and small. One man responded that there isn’t much ‘wiggle room’ on hog breeding.  Listen to Cullman County Animal Control Director Tim McCoy:

“My experience is that people get what seems to be a fun animal for a little while, and (the pigs) start getting bigger and bigger,” Cullman County Animal Control Director Tim McKoy said. “Then they can’t keep them in a small pen anymore, and (homeowners) don’t know what to do with them.”

Over the last four months or so, Cullman County Animal Control has picked up about four abandoned potbellied pigs.  “It is not as unusual as you would think,” McKoy said.

When they get report of a loose pig, McKoy said officers attempt to find the owner. If a livestock animal isn’t claimed, his office has to go to court to seize the animal.

Cullman County Animal Control has a half-acre lot where they can temporarily house an abandoned or abused livestock animal.

.Okay, this is sad to me- but also bizarre. I may have grown up in the city of Birmingham but I married a man from a rural county. I have been to chicken farms, catfish farms, cattle farms, llama farms, horse farms, goat farms -even to an emu farm. A loose Emu caused a big stir in my hometown several months ago when it escaped and was walking calmly on the double yellow line up Highway 231, people were posting reports on it’s whereabouts minute by minute on Facebook and calling 911, traffic was backed up for a couple of miles- someone took a fantastic picture of the Emu ‘walking the line’- finally, they guided the Emu off to the side of the road and caught it- returned it home safely.

Anyway, I feel that I have observed a good many types of farms, yet my experience with pigs is limited to an elderly farmer who was vehemently opposed to a hog farm being installed on a neighboring farm. He took us outside and said ‘Cain’t you smell it?’ When I said I really couldn’t, he made me get in another wind direction- I still couldn’t smell anything too awful, but he said he wouldn’t be able to eat with that smell. I do think I would still be able to eat bacon, maybe not… I also recall one man told me that a hog was a better ‘guard dog’ than an actual dog! Somehow, I think it would be embarrassing to post a ‘Beware of Guard Hog’ sign.

One lady commented on the Cullman Times article by saying that ‘the good thing (about pigs) is that they always poop in the same place.’ – Well, that’s good to know… Now, let me get on with this incredible article-

Here’s Dwain Floyd again: ‘Last month, Floyd responded to a residence.. after a woman found a 100 pound pig in her garage. He said the homeowner tried to find the pig’s owner before calling animal control.’

(That’s One Brave Woman.. okay, say on Dwain..)

“Pigs are mischievous and curious creatures,’ Floyd said. ‘They like to dig. They get out and forage for themselves. It’s hard to believe a pig like this wanders off and no one misses it.’ But that’s what happened no one came forward to claim the female black and white pot-bellied pig. Despite it’s size, Floyd said this house-trained pig still makes a good pet. ‘It followed you around like a dog. It didn’t even squeal when I picked it up.” Floyd laughed though, admitting that picking up the large pig did hurt his back.’

(Hmm…I can’t believe nobody missed it either- sounds like hogwash to me.)

Apparently no court appearance was necessary – lucky for the animal control and the pig, the article stated- a neighbor decided to keep the pig after it made friends with the family’s pet duck. Take it away Dwain-

‘The family has a duck that has been raised from birth as part of the family.’ Floyd said – ‘It goes everywhere with them and loves to be held.’  (Now where does the duck go?) Anyway, this story has a happy ending because ‘another friendship has been formed’ – with the pot-bellied pig which has a happy start with her new family’. To read the whole story- go to Al.com .

Don’t you just love Dwain Floyd and this story? Well I do- it makes me smile. I have to admit I am laughing thinking about coming home and finding a 100 pound pig in my garage! What in the world?? How did she have the presence of mind to go inside and call around to see if she could find out who that pig belonged to? All before calling Dwain Floyd at Animal Control? And y’all…that pig just lives next door….the next time she comes home to find a pig in her garage- it might weigh 200 pounds and have a duck on it’s back!

Just had to have some sweet fun! I mean with all that’s goin’ on in the world…we all can use a little fun from time to time!

Love y’all, Camellia