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Lost pig in the city: Pot Belly found in Richmond to be sent to vegan rescue

Posted at 10:59 PM, Sep 26, 2018
and last updated 2018-09-26 23:22:46-04

RICHMOND, Va. -- The owner of a pot belly pig found on Richmond's Northside has agreed to send their pet to a rescue farm outside of the city.

Richmond Animal Care and Control (RACC) posted on Facebook Wednesday afternoon that a pig was found on Griffin Avenue.

The pig was then sent to the horse stables owned by the Richmond Police Department Mounted Unit on Brook Road while officers searched for its owner.

Mattie Ross told CBS 6 she along with her neighbors spotted the pig near the intersection of Griffin Avenue and West Ladies Mile Road around 11 a.m. Wednesday.

"We were out here in the yard looking around and all of sudden there was something on the corner. We thought it was a little dog, then we looked again and it was a pig!" Ross remembered.

Ross described the pig as friendly around humans, which was a clear sign to her that the pig was someone's pet. Neighbors fed the swine and kept it safe in a backyard until an officer arrived.

"It just came down the street wagging its little tail. It was so friendly and just came on up in the neighbor’s yards eating the grass," Ross stated.

This was Ross' first farm animal she found outside of her home while living in Richmond for 40 years.

Neighbors along Haynes Avenue and West Meredith Street told CBS 6 that someone near that intersection owns a pig. Their home is a third of a mile away from where the pig was found. No one answered the door Wednesday afternoon.

However, RACC Director Christie Peters said the owner of the pig had come forward shortly after the initial Facebook post was shared more than a hundred times.

Peters stated the pig's owner agreed to have the farm animal neutered before sending it to a vegan pig rescue.

That's because owning a pig in the City of Richmond is illegal, according to Peters.

She said the owner will not be fined since it's their first offense and they aren't keeping the pig.

This was the first pig found in Richmond so far in 2018. RACC said a few were discovered within city limits in 2017.

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