Pig Escaped From Hackettstown Auction Going To Petting Zoo

HACKETTSTOWN, NJ — This little piggy won't be going to the market after all: a pig escaped from the Hackettstown Livestock Auction is headed to a petting zoo, Animal Control officer Robbie Lagonera told Patch.

The pig escaped from the auction about six weeks ago, and had been loose in Hackettstown during that time frame. He was proving difficult to catch, so Lagonera used a dog kennel to make a modified pig trap. After filling it with food and hay it was set out on Valentine Street. Just a few hours later, the pig was caught.

Lagonera said the pig was in good health, just covered in some burs from his time on the run. And thankfully, his taste of freedom will last a little longer: after spending some time at the municipal barn, he'll head to a petting zoo.

"Today I spoke with the original seller of the pig and he gave me permission to give it to a petting zoo. So after 6 weeks of being loose in town he is now going to a farm to live out the rest of his life in piggy heaven," Lagonera said. He told Patch he believed the pig was going to a farm in Washington (Warren). Patch has reached out to the farm for confirmation.

Image and video via Lagonera, used with permission