A baby pig that rose to local fame earlier this week after he was tossed around like a football during a New Orleans Mardi Gras celebration is headed for greener pastures — a small farm owned and operated by State Rep. Lauren Ventrella.
Ventrella was one of several locals vying to adopt the weeks-old pig, dubbed "Piglet" by his first foster parent, after he was rescued during a recent Carnival parade and turned over to the Humane Society of Louisiana.
"When I heard Piglet’s story and his plight as a mistaken Mardi Gras throw, I knew he belonged on my farm and that he deserved a better life," Ventrella wrote in a prepared statement. "I ran for the legislature to be a voice for those who are most vulnerable, and Piglet’s story is a good reminder to always be kind, even to the least of these."
Along with her work in the Capital City and as an injury lawyer, Ventrella owns and lives on a 14-acre farm in Central, a small town about 20 minutes outside of Baton Rouge.
Piglet will soon be able to enjoy the space needed for a pig that could grow to weigh up to 80 pounds and the company of Ventrella's menagerie of other animals, including sheep, goats, miniature donkeys, emus and horses. There's also a 100-year-old tortoise named Eugene, a cow named Norman and even a fellow pig, an 11-year-old baby boy named Winston.
Piglet was rescued during a Mardi Gras parade by a bystander who noticed three men playing with the pig in a park near the route. The bystander thought the men were throwing a mini football, but he soon realized they were hurling a terrified, squealing pig to one another.
He demanded custody of the animal and the group relented, according to the Humane Society.
After a few exams, veterinarians at the Metairie Small Animal Hospital concluded that Piglet was not injured in the incident. The Humane Society has raised over $1,700 to cover Piglet's medical bills.