Big problem, pig problem or no trouble at all? Deputies charmed by 'Miss Piggy'

Former show pig just wants to snuggle, as it turns out

Provided by the Liberty County Sheriff's Office

LIBERTY COUNTY, Texas – When the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office learned of a “wild hog,” as it was first reported, near the roadway at Highway 321 and County Road 685, deputies took the call very seriously, “in an attempt to prevent what sounded like a possible critical situation,” deputies said.

But what they actually found was just a friendly, snuggly, former show pig.

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Provided by the Liberty County Sheriff's Office

In fact, the pig was no problem at all. Get this: When officials arrived, they found the ginormous domestic animal on “a dog leash that any miniature Chihuahua with a bad attitude could have easily broken,” according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office.

If you’re wondering why the sheriff even bothered to issue a news release on this particular “investigation,” Capt. Ken DeFoor is happy to clarify, writing: “Sometimes it’s refreshing to get a call that will just make a person smile. So, this call was just one of those ‘feel good’ calls, as it turned out.”

It was lead patrol investigator Deputy Shandalynn Rhame, along with constables from Precinct 5 and the sheriff’s livestock deputy, Sgt. James Hobson, who responded to the “Miss Piggy” situation, as DeFoor called it, on the morning of Nov. 30.

Provided by the Liberty County Sheriff's Office

The pig was nothing more than a gentle giant that just wanted to snuggle with her newfound humans, the officials discovered. Although they had originally feared the animal would be a traffic hazard, the pig was easily secured in the front yard of the person who had called authorities.

Deputies read the animal her rights -- just kidding -- and then loaded her into Hobson’s trailer as officials tried to track down the owner.

“Rhame said this was the biggest hog she had ever seen, and it stood well above the height of her belt line and weighed several hundred pounds,” DeFoor wrote in the release. “But even though ‘Miss Piggy’ could have left the area any time she wanted, she found the company she was keeping was much to her liking.”

Provided by the Liberty County Sheriff's Office

The owner was tracked down a short time later. He told deputies that his prized pig had been passed down through his family, and was kept in (what was thought to be) a secure pen.

“It seems that this little piggy decided she wanted to roam for a while, and the owner said she … destroyed her pen in order to get out and roam near Highway 321, not far from her home,” DeFoor said. “Everyone had to pet Miss Piggy and smile as the scene was cleared and the case was closed.”