AURORA, Colo. — Sitting behind bars is Aurora Animal Shelter's biggest criminal. Well, their largest criminal at least.
Fred the 400-pound pig is enjoying some peace, quiet and lots of treats at the shelter after being captured.
Augusta Allen, field supervisor of Housing and Community Services at the shelter said this pig was put in the pen after a crime spree around town.
"Sunday the 24th of September, we got a call that he was tearing up somebody's lawn early in the morning and we went out, we couldn't find him then," Allen said.
For days, this sassy swine was spotted around Aurora, with calls coming in from folks spotting Fred around traffic and tearing up landscaping. It didn't take long for his list of crimes to rise.
"Property damage, being too cute, maybe waking people up," Allen said, laughing. "He would probably be a pretty horrible alarm clock to wake up to and look out your window and there’s this giant pig eating your lawn."
He seemed to be having a good time until Fred's captors finally caught his trail.
"And we finally got him at Chambers and Alameda, which is that big intersection right by the municipal center, hanging out in there," Allen said. "It was a big enough parking lot that we could work with it. Got him loaded up and got him over here. It was funny."
After so long on the lam, Allen says this 400-pound hog didn't go down easy.
"He got a little dramatic, didn't want his holiday to end so early," she said.
Now, Fred's turning tail on the life of crime.
"I hope he is on the straight and narrow path and will be straightened up, a reformed pig, yes," Allen said.
In the week since they've housed this portly pig, no one has come forward to the Aurora Animal Shelter to claim Fred. Based on how friendly and gentle Fred is, Allen said she believes he was a pet that got loose or was set free.
"You can get a pretty significant ticket for having him in the city so I think they just didn't want to track him down and find him," Allen said.
Now, Fred's only crime is stealing the hearts of everyone at the shelter. Staff are working to send this much-loved swine to a new home.
"We will miss him greatly," Allen said. "He is such a sweet boy. And I tell you, when I take my breaks and just need to get out of the building for a minute – I come back and give him scratchies and little treats. I almost feel bad for the farmer that gets him because he's going to expect those things now I think. It'll be great."
But, she said they're hopeful they'll find friend a spot that feels like hog heaven.
“He’ll be happy and he’ll be in a much better place," she said. "We’ve had several rescues reach out and the shelter manager is in the process of figuring out where he’s going to go. Hopefully, next week – early next week he’ll go to his new home."
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