'Shock' and 'heartbreak' after adopted pig ends up on dinner table

Last summer, Leon Davis cared fordozens of squirmingpiglets after a rescue operation in Duncan, B.C.

One of the 57 animals the Nanaimo SPCA branch manager nursed back to health was Molly, a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig who finally found her forever homelast month.

But just weeks after the adoption, Davis heard the news: Molly had been butchered and eaten by her new owner after problems were reported with the little pig.

"First reaction I'd say was shock. Heartbreak.You know, all the animals that come through our care or branches we get attached to," Davis said.

"To hear that somebody did this to an animal that we worked so hard to make sure was healthy, and tried to get into a good home, is absolutely heartbreaking."

No charges laid

Molly's owner isn'tbeing charged, Davis said, but they'll be blacklisted by the SPCA and won't be allowed to adopt again from any of the province's locations.

His new porcine ward,10-month-oldJack, highlights how much dedication a pet pig requires.

Jack was turned in to the SPCAby a family who adopted him as a stray."He was a little bit nippy at first, but we're working on that," Davis said.

He built Jack a house outdoors and says staff bury Jack's meals so he can root."He's not biting anymore," Davis said, laughing.

A prospective adoptee's property and experience aretaken into consideration before they can take livestock home, according to the SPCA.

'People can lie'

Although Molly's owner was vetted by the SPCAand signed a contractspecifically stating that the pet couldn't be killed or consumed Davis said it's not a criminal offence to breach that contract.

Animal cruelty laws only apply when an animal suffers, he said, and investigators found that Molly was killed humanely.

"People can lie, I suppose, and there's not always a way to tell," Davis said."But we try to impress on people that we're here to support and help if anything's gone wrong."

He added that theSPCAwould have taken Molly back into itscare if the owner couldn't find a solution to the problems they were reportedly having.

He's disappointed the law allows any owner to kill their pet be it dog, fish or pig at their discretion, and although he's never seen it happen before, he thinks the law could be changed to prevent future slaughters.

"Any humane euthanasia decision should be under the supervision of a veterinarian," he said. "I'm hoping that might change in the future."

With files from Sarah Towle