Vernon's Wayward Pig Adopted, Now Living at a Farm in Sharon

The pig has a new home.

Really.

That was the word from Animal Control Officer Craig Segar on Monday afternoon. Segar said that Jay Metz, who runs an animal sanctuary from his farm in the Northwest Hills town of Sharon, picked her up on Monday and brought her to her new digs.

The Metzes on Monday night said she was resting comfortably.

The female pig, who weighs about 200 pounds, was picked up running around Route 83 on Oct. 1. She seemed to have taken a liking to Segar. It took some time for him to move her to a roomy kennel at the animal control headquarters because she fell asleep in the small transport cage while being taken there.

He then went out and bought her Pig Chow for show swine.

"I think I was starting to fall in love with her," Segar said. "We just have nowhere to keep her. Pigs are great, clean, intelligent animals but we just could not do it."

Finding a home locally was a chore because Vernon has no zoning provisions for livestock swine. Segar was also trying to decide which callers wanted her as a pet and which wanted her for a meal.

Segar thought he had found a home for the pig in Bolton, but he said  family lost interest after realizing how much publicity the pig was getting. 

In his efforts to find the pig a safe home, he contacted the Animal Rights and Welfare Entity in Tolland, AWARE then located Metz. Among the animals on the Metz farm are a 17-year-old cow and a retired New York Police Department horse, Segar said.

"She was squealing until we had her in the trailer," Segar said. "Then, she calmed right down."

The Metzes said not only is the pig relaxed, but she is starting to recognize voices in her new home. Segar said he will drive up to visit her on a weekend.