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Abused Potbellied Pig May Not Be Obese

by Matt Van Hoven

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BY CATEGORY:
BY PET:

November 1, 2007

MINNESOTA – A Winona, Minnesota woman is accusing a colleague of animal cruelty – after she left a pet pig with the coworker for a period of nine-months.

Michelle Schmitz asked the colleague to watch her potbellied pig named Alaina Templeton, while she recovered from ankle surgery.

During that time, the pig gained 100 pounds, causing it's collar to grow into its neck. To add insult to injury, Schmitz says the sitter renamed the pig Pork Chop – she says all that constitutes animal cruelty.

It took a 4 and a half hour surgery to remove the collar, but Alaina is now recovering well.

And according to Richard Slayton of Pigs4Ever.com, a healthy adult potbellied pig should weigh from 120 to 250 pounds. Alaina is five years-old, well beyond adolescence, and currently weighs about 150 pounds.

Schmitz said she tried to keep Alaina's weight at 50 pounds – Richard Slayton says that's much too thin.

Kevin Behr of the Winona Daily News told us Schmitz's vet wasn't concerned about the pig's low weight.

Schmitz hasn't filed charges, but the Winona County Sheriff's Department is investigating. They're holding the name of the sitter.

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pig, abuse, potbellied, cruelty & abuse, other

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ArthurCurtis
ArthurCurtis
8 months ago
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This is Neglect, and Neglect is abuse.. That simple
 
CMiller4
CMiller4
8 months ago
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It's to bad that neither person had enough common sense to care for the pig, and the pig who end up paying the price in the end.
 
Michele C.
Michele C. (pattimichele)
8 months ago
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Absolutely, common sense seems to be a rare comodity these days. I do believe it is a form of abuse
 
deb a.
deb a. (rodeodeb)
9 months ago
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sorry I would make sure that I was checking in once in a while, and maybe be a little pickyer about who was watching my pig, and why didnt she feed it more herself, not sure who to blame
 
Alex C.
Alex C. (tushababy)
1 year ago
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Hmm, another case of people not paying attention.
 
jill l.
jill l. (JillLong)
1 year ago
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This is a really strange story. The original owner was keeping the pig much too thin and the sitter didn't have sense to loosen the collar. I think they both are at fault.
 
Jill6Johnson
Jill6Johnson
1 year ago
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I am not sure why she kept the pig at a low weight, but the sitter should have had sense enough to take the collar off when the pig began gaining weight.
 
Doggieluvs
Doggieluvs
1 year ago
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Seems like she was the abuser by keeping the pig at such a low weight.
 
Brigit800
Brigit800
1 year ago
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I had foot surgery and it didn't take me 9 months. Someone cared for my dog for 5 days.
 
Anonymous
Anonymous
1 year ago
This comment has been removed.
 
Sue R.
Sue R. (suerob)
1 year ago
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The collar was the only thing of abuse here. When I leave my dogs with a pet sitter for a few days or a week I expect to come back to spoiled dogs that maybe weigh a little more. It's all part of the game.
 
iseeurn
iseeurn
1 year ago
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Take care of the animal urself.Dont leave it up to others
 
Lana S.
Lana S. (critterfriend)
1 year ago
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Laura D., you have it right! I'd never leave my dogs without visiting if I had to crawl!
 
Janie
Janie (wildlifephotomom)
1 year ago
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I would have to know without a shadow of a doubt that whomever was taking care of my pet did it the way I wanted it done-not sure about either of these people.
 
wtfginayourehot
wtfginayourehot
1 year ago
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neither of them should have a piggy that big, but the owner should be greatful that anyone would take care of her animal the way the sitter did.
 
Linda W.
Linda W. (equs2)
1 year ago
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Not sure either of these people should have the pig.
 
Laura D.
Laura D. (Djitomate)
1 year ago
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Sounds to me like the owner should be charged with animal cruelty- not the sitter. The owner underfed her pig, left it with someone who obviously didn't keep a close eye on the pig (how do you not notice a collar getting tight?), and didn't even seem to visit or check up with the animal. Hope the pig ends up safe and happy and well-fed.
 
Sarah M.
Sarah M. (maxscout)
1 year ago
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She should lose the pig. Check who the heck you are leaving your animals with.
 
Hannanahmom
Hannanahmom
1 year ago
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I totally agree with WANSTREET and chili1zz, the owner could and should have found a way to visit with the pig.
 
WANSTREET
WANSTREET
1 year ago
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Nine months for recovery and she never once saw her beloved pet? Neither one should have the pig.
 
chili1zz
chili1zz
1 year ago
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i thnk that the pig needs a new home both of them was in the wrong
 
Mary P.
Mary P. (marysworld)
1 year ago
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Two wrongs don't make a right. Not sure either of them are fit to be the pigs owner.
 
Laurel C.
Laurel C. (Imissbailey)
1 year ago
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It sounds like the pig needed to be fattened up...but the collar should have been loosened or taken off if he was in an enclosure. Who leaves their animal with someone for 9 months and doesn't notice that the animal is changing? Sounds like the owner really loves the animal now that they can maybe try and sue.
 
Seana B.
Seana B. (funkiemunkee)
1 year ago
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This is just a bad situation all around. It seems that neither the original owner nor the sitter was overly responsible. Poor pig, that is the real victim here. I think neither of these people deserve to keep her, both have proved themselves to bee less than ideal pet owners.
 
theresa s.
theresa s. (mrsmack)
1 year ago
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she didn"t visit? You cant leave an animal for 9 months. She wasnt on a peacekeeping mission it was just an ankle
 
Mary T.
Mary T. (matrice)
1 year ago
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keep your mouth shut and take care of your pig where were you for 9 months?
 
penny m.
penny m. (pennydq)
1 year ago
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So the owner had ankle surgery. None months?? Can't visit your pet anytime in the meantime?? What is the OWNER"S problem? Underfed the pig,farmed it out for nine months and then complained???? I do wonder how the petsitter did not notice the collar needed changing...Two not-so-smart people it seems.
 
Cam J.
Cam J. (jocajo)
1 year ago
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I've never heard of putting a collar on a pig. Did she walk the pig like a dog? Anyway the sitter should have seen that the collar was getting to tight.
 
Brenda
Brenda (BrendaM)
1 year ago
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We don't have the whole story. Weight gain or not - the sitter should have noticed the collar and made sure that it wasn't a problem. Poor piggy. I know that they can gain weight very easily and pretty quickly too.
 
smlhelps
smlhelps
1 year ago
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POOE PIGGY GLAD SHE IS BETTER NOW NEXT TIME FIND A BETTER SITTER.
 
judy b.
judy b. (jbonz)
1 year ago
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This is one of the stupider stories I've read on here. Neither one of these two sounds very bright.
 
Judi M.
Judi M. (JMeenen)
1 year ago
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why the heck didn't she just take the collar off and get a larger one?
 
E J.
E J. (maisy126)
1 year ago
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letting the collar grow into it's neck!? come on woman, you would have to have known SOMETHING. *shakes head* poor pig.
 
Sherylene
Sherylene
1 year ago
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Poor pig! How awful to let a collar grow into the pig's neck! The owner didn't visit her pet pig in nine months?
 
mybffmojo
mybffmojo
1 year ago
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i hope alaina's doing well
 
collyn f.
collyn f. (animallover0627)
1 year ago
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this makes me sick to know that someone doesn't care enough about their animals to research them and take care of them properly
 
collyn f.
collyn f. (animallover0627)
1 year ago
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i would want to visit my animal.
even if i was hurt
but they should have known about the average weight of the pig. thats just irresponsible.
 
peach
peach
1 year ago
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I don't think either of these women knew what they were doing. And didn't the owner visit her pet pig in the entire 9 months??? Unbelievable!
 
Connie G.
Connie G. (cgleason)
1 year ago
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The collar should have been checked but it doesn't sound like the owner knows what she is doing either.
 
chili1zz
chili1zz
1 year ago
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nine months she could have gone and seen it then this may have not happen
 
Wyoming County S.
Wyoming County S. (wcspca1)
1 year ago
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the babysitter should have been educated
 
Shirley B.
Shirley B. (smapplebee)
1 year ago
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I feel sorry for the pig. The poor thing probably felt starved. Both women are clueless as to proper care. The owner should have visited her pet. The pet sitter should pay the vet bill. The vet should have informed the owner that the pig was too skinny. No excuse for the name change; however, the pig could care less.
 
Anne W.
Anne W. (hyjinxannie)
1 year ago
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Pig sitter should pay vet bills for ingrown collar. Owner should have given sitter strict guidelines for feeding. These pigs tend to gain weight easily. Seems the pig was too skinny according to the experts even tho owner's vet says it wasn't. Maybe putting on another 25# would have been okay. Either way...pig should have been monitored more closely to see collar was too tight. Sitter is definately at fault here.
 
Cassie3
Cassie3
1 year ago
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She should have watched (or at least visited!) her own pet for NINE MONTHS. Talk about unreasonable.
 
Amanda
Amanda (lastnightilie)
1 year ago
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lol she said calling the pig "Pork Chop" was animal cruelty? Please. It's not like she killed it and cooked it in a big pot. And she only got the pig to a healthy weight, she probably started actually feeding it when it was hungry or something. The only thing is that maybe she should have thought to take the collar off, but that isn't animal cruelty. I seriously doubt the whole time she had the pig, she was thinking, "I want to make this pig suffer so I'm going to make him fat and get his collar stuck."
 
Jessie G.
Jessie G. (tamedtigress)
1 year ago
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Should have looked after the pig if you only have a broken ankle you still could have gone over and visited.
 
hodgepodgerog
hodgepodgerog
1 year ago
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The embedded collar worries me...but so does 50 pounds for a pop-bellied pig.

And renaming the pig "Porkchop" isn't as bad as "Din-Din".

I guess when all is said and done, this is one little piggy that should've stayed home...
 
hodgepodgerog
hodgepodgerog
1 year ago
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"Pop"-bellied?

Now there's a Freudian Slip for ya...dang...where'd I put my Diet Dew...?
 
Kristi L.
Kristi L. (Pumpkin2006)
1 year ago
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I would have checked in on my pet a few times over a 9 month period. She would have seen the growing pig. I pig sit for two potbellied pigs and 150 seems about average for their weight, but i've also seen smaller. The caretaker should have at least removed collar when she began to gain the weight. Weight can be fixed by diet, but the surgery to remove the collar is disgusting.
 
Tami T.
Tami T. (Tatesq)
1 year ago
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Very strange story indeed.
 
Louise P.
Louise P. (lmpickford)
1 year ago
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I think the sitter should be fined for abuse. Obviously, she wasn't taking care of the pig for it to gain so much weight.
 
Jenn
Jenn (Jenn7703)
1 year ago
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That's terrible. Both people are at fault.
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