Meet Ricky

A social media sensation nightmare

In early February 2023, local news and social media channels began publishing articles about a pig running loose in Orange County, NC. Soon, people started sharing the story far and wide, and things quickly got out of hand. Within no time, people were referring to the pig as a giant "wild boar" with huge tusks on the prowl, looking for prey. Some attention seekers posted extremely mean comments about shooting him and donating him to an Asian restaurant or having a local barbeque event. Fortunately, many kind folks also stepped in and showed compassion for the animal and offered sympathy.

When we saw the picture that the media had captured of the pig, we quickly knew this was no "wild boar" on the loose. Instead, he was most likely someone's pet potbelly pig who got out of his enclosure. We could tell that he was well fed, and other than needing a tusk trim, he didn't appear to have any urgent medical issues.

Within a few days, Orange County Animal Services (OCAS) was able to capture the pig and bring him to their facility. They finally found the pig's owners, only to find out that they could no longer care for him. Apparently they had arranged for someone to come get the pig when they were out of town. However, when this arrangement fell through and no one was coming to feed and water him, he broke through his enclosure out of desperation. People soon started reported sightings of him, hence the media articles that soon commenced.​

Finally, a permanent home

When OCAS employee Tiani reached out to us to see if we could take in this homeless pig, we just couldn't say no. We knew he would make a wonderful addition to our herd, and above all, he deserved a safe home after such a stressful ordeal. We quickly made arrangements for his arrival, and we also gave him the name Ricky. 

Today, Ricky is enjoying his new home, eating two home-cooked meals a day, getting lots of belly rubs and ear scratches, exploring the woods, and napping the days away in fresh straw. We love sweet-talking this gentle fella and reassuring him that he'll never have to worry about a thing for the remainder of his days. 

Sponsor Ricky

Meet the rest of the herd

Click or tap a photo to learn more about our herd members. Who will capture your heart?