Monday, January 5, 2015

Woman who faces fine after rescuing runaway pig won't have to pay if animal is euthanized

A Florida family who thought they were doing a good deed when they took in a pig they found wandering along a street in St. Cloud is now facing a fine. Michelle Miller said a neighbor nearly hit the pig as it walked along. Her family caught the pig, which they have named Eva Sophia, and put her in their back yard. "Unfortunately, I didn't realize it would become a permanent home," Miller said.
Miller said she has tried to find the Eva's owner. "I put signs up at the feed store. I put signs up at the corner here," Miller said. She said she called Osceola County Animal Services the day she found Eva, but was told the county would only pick the pig up if it was damaging property. Miller said she felt she had no choice but the keep the pig so it wasn't wandering in the streets.
"I'm not going to let it go walk in the streets. It almost got hit once, who's to say it doesn't get hit twice. Who's to say someone doesn't die because it hit a 350-pound animal," said Miller. Miller said that last week Eva got out of her back yard and a neighbor called Animal Services. The county gave Miller at $105 citation, calling the animal a nuisance. A county representative said Miller was fined because their first record of Eva was from the day the pig escaped.
The representative said the officer was told that the family has had the pig for months. According to the representative, if Miller takes the pig to animal services they will waive the citation, but might euthanize Eva. If Animal Services has to pick the pig up from Miller's home, she will be responsible for the fine. Miller said she doesn't want to turn Eva over to Animal Services if there is a chance Eva will be euthanized.
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