Abandoned Piglet Named Paisley Finds New Home

A baby pig abandoned without explanation at a Riverside County animal shelter last month was taken home this week by her new owner.

“A very lovely woman by the name of Victoria ‘Tori’ Schatt came to the shelter and adopted ‘Paisley,”’ Department of Animal Services spokesman John Welsh said.

Schatt, of Meadowbrook, was selected from a dozen prospective adoptive parents who submitted 200-word essays detailing why they believed they would offer the best home for the 3-month-old pot-bellied piglet.

“Ms. Schatt’s essay stuck out because she works at the Pedley Square Veterinary Clinic,” Welsh said. “We loved that she knew the pig needed to be properly spayed ... Also, she often sees untrained pot-bellied pigs at the clinic, and she said she wanted to make sure she gave proper training to Paisley.”

He said the first thing Schatt did was rename her new charge “Petunia” in an homage to “Porky Pig’s girlfriend.” Schatt said Petunia will be free to roam a 10-by-20-foot “play yard” on a two-acre fenced lot in Meadowbrook.

The tiny black pig was dumped in an after hours compartment at the county’s Jurupa Valley shelter at 6851 Van Buren Blvd. the night of Jan. 28.

According to county officials, the drop-off compartments are intended to be used by good Samaritans who find strays wandering the streets and leave them at the shelter during the overnight hours as a last resort.

The pig was in good condition, and animal services staffers could only speculate as to why she was abandoned.

Welsh said the shelter has seven other pot-bellied pigs who need a home. Anyone interested in possibly adopting them was encouraged to drop by the shelter and fill out an application, he said.

– By City News Service.

All images courtesy of the Riverside County Department of Animal Services.