a probably 3 month old pig walked into my yard..now what?

[heckerdy]

Ok so as you know, about a month ago a pig walked into our yard and this thread has helped us unsuspecting folks get through the struggle of such an unexpected visitor!

on Tuesday we were just settling in for that glass of basement wine ( all us semi-self sufficient folks should have in case the big one hits or a pig walks in the yard.) and we got a knock in the door
my husband had just finished putting the wire fencing down like you said Baymule and things seemed calm ..all the animals tucked in…BAM BAM BAM at the door .."who is it?" (I will make up a name but wish I could post his ..am hoping the person who did this reads this saga and learns something from it )
anyway we will call him "Mike" so "Mike I think we have something in common " my husband opened the door and lead him off the porch back out in the yard ..he was nervous made terrible eye contact and started rambling about "we have ducks you have ducks we have a pig you have a pig we lost a pig did you find a pig?" then he told us in rapid fire that he had the pig one day before it ran off…he did not even know the sex of the pig! he asked US??? He had no idea the bread or sex of the pig ….The pig "Bacon" was a money making project we have liberal but well documented ordinances about animals ..people have beautiful gardens and we have an elaborate green belt with lots of native plants and wildlife ..a pig here if it got loose would be an ecological nightmare also I am up against a federal land with a huge forrest and lots of hunting and wildlife projects ..restorations going on ..this guy is a real estate agent with a first time side business in town where it is illegal …to raise luau pigs for his brother in law's pub … and he lost it after a day because he admitted to us HE "had no idea how hard this would be to keep a pig" He also said that he "didn't report it or even look for it because I was not sure of the rules" he is a real Estate agent in this area for 10 years and did not know our zoning laws? please …. my husband when we were looking for the owner told the UPS man who told this guy ..I was furious with him he had no concern or care for the animal just saw dollar signs and a pig someone else struggled with for a month! ..I am not a "poor me" I am frustrated and pissed! …...and HE is standing in my third world bombed out back yard where there is a very fat happy pig looking for the next home cooked meal . Telling us that
"wow he did a number on your yard I will give you $100 for the damage my brother in law has a pub and we are doing a luah"
I am a nice person you guys I can control my temper in most situations I was an ER nurse come on.. There was just something I was not happy about with this guy..
Seriously if someone showed up with a tearful kid and said "omg you have our pig ..blah blah blah" I would have been sad but turned him over ..especially if there was a kid or someone was raising food legitimately trying and had been searching ... but he even started on a shady pretense "we have something in common I have ducks you have ducks I Have a pig you have a pig I lost a pig is that my pig? " argggghhhhhh it was disruptive but then got worse I do not even know how to explain how bad it got

so we said we would call him the next day,…..I would not lie but we were going to move the pig to my friend mini farm I would just make him go there and get him himself …with his bare hands on muddy 40 acres …I was so upset and did not want Bacon to end up a $20 /plate in a pub! sorry and the insult of offering us $100 ..how about if you are a real suburban farmer and NEIGHBOR ...you offer to come help us with the yard and as your looking at my granddaughter how about you not tell her the hard work we put in ...is going to make you some money on a one night meal ????" but "I will give you $100 for your trouble"

ok so we left it with this guy leaving and thinking we are going to call him the next day …our plan was to do what I said and give him $100 for his trouble and good bye. ( I am going to post this and then come back with the rest …the internet is buggy this morning lets see how this posts first)

 

[heckerdy]

that posted part two
ok so we left it with this guy leaving and thinking we are going to call him the next day …our plan was to do what I said and give him $100 for HIS trouble and good bye. ( I am going to post this and then come back with the rest the internet is buggy this morning lets see how this posts first)

the next day I had a picnic planned for the grandkids and was listening to Joe Biden's speech and crying Sadly …brutally …I lost my son as well and feel so much for Biden… 10 years ago my son left this world unexpectedly… it was his birthday I was planning a picnic of his favorite foods and going to talk to the little kids about their lost uncle and celebrate what he loved in life ..tears were flowing like crazy.., (everyone has pain but your home is a safe place to express it fully and I was) The food was on and I noticed the Animal Control truck outside .. So I went out and started to introduce myself to the animal control officer and like a slap in the face she yelled "SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO ME DO YOU EVER STOP TALKING!…do you know why I am here???" ok that was random! seriously ! I said "hi my name is ….." and she blew up! she was having some kind of issue with her self control and it just went from bad to worse with her ..I knew something was up and did not want to be alone with her I did not even have my phone in my hand ..I should have videoed the rest of this..but hindsight…..so I said "I have food on the stove this is a difficult day for my family and I am not doing very well and you are yelling at me ...so please forgive me I am going to take care of the food and my husband is coming up the hill with my grandkids now if you wait you can tell us both everything at one time" as I walked back into my house she was making fun of me behind my back in a sing song voice..seriously I felt tearful and bullied but pulled it together because she was the crazy one at this point! not me! when my husband showed I came back out and she explained the situation what we needed to do and when she finished I said "ok then can we conclude this so I can return to the lunch and then we will make plans to do what you have asked ?" she screamed in front of my kids and husband at me over and over "SHUT UP SHUT UP SHE NEVER STOPS TALKING SHE NEEDS HELP MAKE HER SHUT UP "she was shouting and walking in circles..why did we not video this ???????
I wasn't even in the yard with her at this point I had walked with the grandkids away and escorted them towards the house telling them not all officers behaved like this and that just made her more angry… this is when it got weird…she put both hands over her ears equated down screaming that I would not shut up and then jumped up into the air in full SUPERSTAR position with her arms and legs spread when she landed I thought maybe she was going to do a split! but no she ended with a pound "I CAN NOT BELIEVE SHE WILL NOT STOP TALKING!" in super star position? ….ok it took 5 min to find out the guy wanted $50 for Bacon to be delivered to a coffee shop in town and a receipt would be there for the pig ..that is all she wanted to tell us and she went completely bat**** crazy in my yard for 30 min ..my husband had his phone ready to call 911 when she finally got in her truck but we moved our picnic inside because she was sitting in our driveway staring at us!

something about my being in tears I believe triggered her to be crazy? I told her several times " please stop yelling at us and today is a difficult day I am very sad and my kids do not need to see this please calm down , get a grip or leave my yard!" who knows I do not care what triggered her but I left a msg for her boss yesterday and am filling a report ..wow she has a gun

great PR because you know my grandson went right to school and told everyone about the crazy animal control officer who made gramma cry ..OY!!!!

Sooooooo I have a hand written receipt now stating I own a "brownish pig" ..he is a not aware we would have paid him twice that but he had to call the ACO instead…

what an irresponsible ass this man is and what a crazy officer I death with ..I have a great deal of respect for animal control as a nurse I have dealt with them a lot and feel they have a very hard job here ..we have a lot of dog fighting in this area and that is how I got into pit rescue …sadly I am on her side and she was having a breakdown but the woman has a gun and needs to check in with mental health NOW. before she hurts someone …

the guy ? who knows but I am going to the city as well to discuss the" pig issue" with them ..if he can not contain his money making projects and if pigs get loose in our community and in the woods? and he is not looking for them because and I quote "I didn't want to draw attention because I did not know the zoning laws? " he is again a REAL ESTATE AGENT??? you do not get to randomly decide in a community like ours to raise luau pigs when you have no clue about the laws? right? also if you are going to raise pigs? and not have them walk into your yard ..how about you learn to contain them FIRST in a tight community with houses and gardens all around?

so there you go ..the rest of the story…Bacon is ours now with receipt to prove it so my little LIthuanian farmer girl now has a pig for real …if anyone is going to eat this pig it will be those who have respected his life enough not to loose him then hide it because they were doing something illegal and not very responsible

crazy huh? or am I crazier than I thought I was? sorry this is so disconnected the internet is really slow and choppy if that makes sense ?

 

[heckerdy]

wow that was a book ..maybe the officer was right and I talk too much and I DO need to "SHUT UP"

you know I can still see her ??? I was a nurse for a lot of years and have seen some crazy stuff I put it all in perspective…

but I am kind of worried about HER actually and unless she is just that crazy and they keep her because she can take down an animal really well and judging her size and muscle tone I am assuming she can handle most any situation with animals… i think it is people she has trouble with and I have her " as a mentally fragile person..needing help .. having an episode "in my mind already and hope she gets help I am not mad just worried to be honest so I left another msg and if I do not hear today i am going down there for sure.

telling you and seeing it in writing makes me realize how serious her behavior was OY see drama comes? I was sitting in my house and a pig walked up

 

[goatgurl]

first let me say how sorry i am for your loss. i can't think of a more ongoing pain than loosing a child.
now on to the shifty eyed supposed pig owner and the animal control officer.. WHAT!!!! something fishy going on here me thinks. he's a looser and she needs serious help with her behavior. sounds like she has some real problems. my concern is that she will be back and tell you can't keep bacon.

 

[heckerdy]

thanks this time of year is harsh …he whole Bacon saga?was so "him" it seemed kind of an irony that a pig came to distract us right now ..oh well..I am done Bacon can live here until he becomes bacon I guess this is all so crazy ! thanks again a decade does little but give it a place

 

[Latestarter]

So sorry about the loss of your son. Also sorry you had to deal with all that other stuff at that time. Wow is all I can say about the public servant, and I wouldn't trust "mike" as far as I could throw him. I wouldn't have given that guy a dime! First, how the heck did he even find out you had a "found" pig? Second, what proof did he show that it was ever his to begin with? He didn't know breed, sex, colors, or anything else and then claimed it was his? BS! Then to send animal control telling you to pay him $50 at a coffee shop and a receipt would be there waiting for you? You have GOT to be kidding me! So you spent $50 to get a receipt for something you already owned... Hmmmmm almost like govt taxation.

I'm sure you've probably considered this, but if that whacked out ACO is all that, reporting her to superiors could cause you all kinds of issues down the road. Especially since you didn't get it on video. Those in "uniform" tend to be accepted/trusted/believed by those in authority, above those of us who are mere citizens... Specially when it's your word against theirs... justsayin'

 

[Baymule]

And just when you thought life was boring......

 

[sadieml]

I cannot begin to imagine your pain. My deepest sympathy.

I agree with Latestarter. This "Mike" guy is some piece of work, and the ACO needs some really strong drugs and a white jacket with 8 foot wrap-around sleeves. It could turn into a living nightmare if her boss gives her the details of your call, so be CAREFUL, keep your cell with you 24/7, and NEVER speak to her alone. We will be praying for you and yours.

Now, sit back and enjoy Bacon before he becomes bacon, and love on that awesome family of yours. THEY are what gets you from point A to point B when life just seem too hard to press on. Let them love on you, too, and help bring some calm back into your life. You definitely deserve it after the recent insanity around you. Wish I could give you this for real...

 

[heckerdy]

you guys thank you so much ..today has sucked so far but it is what it is right? and thanks ..LateStarter "how the heck did he even find out you had a "found" pig?"
Our freakng UPS man ..he is such a terrible gossip ..but I like him really …so we actually asked him when we were in "finding the owner mode" it just took him a month to find this right person … I had HOPED it was a pig someone lost not a herd of pigs in the protected marsh behind us ..(it is where all the kids go on field trips you guys to learn about the fragile ecosystem a small marsh in the middle of town this guy "Mike" lives on one and we live on the other and there is a cute trail ..people (me) like to keep a geochache going in there ..if pigs get in there ? or get into the woods behind us?
I am all about raising meat for your family and think the relaxed laws and zoning has been very HARD EARNED>..I can have poultry and that is HUGE we have neighbors with a donkey and ones with horses and others have ducks ..it is a lovely suburb that supports backyard adventures in self sufficiency ..in good proximity to jobs and a freeway ..this is a delicate balance ..we need to be gold stewards of our cause right you guys???? seriously! some guy just putting pigs in his yard to make a quick buck in a pub doing luaus…we have people living close by that do this culturally and it is part of their heritage …I want THEM to be able to have a luau pig to raise and not have this guy screw it up for everyone right???

so I am not done yet..I am obviously ok with expressing what I need to in writing LOL and have had three people check it to make sure it was "filtered" the grandkids and will I have videos of what the pig has done

I can share the email and outcome later if you want I think this did evolve into quite the teaching moment…

I had told my grandkids the truth and the ACO was trying to tell them he loved his pig and was worried..she got mad I think because I called BS and cut her off taking them away, but never yelled at her I wouldn't I was crying …argh..

I know what you are saying about the law and all that but I am also really well connected in town and have built super good cred here so I have "back" if you know what I mean ..between all my work in animal rescue, fire dept and as an ER UC RN 30 years or so off "giving" …I think I can go in and be my crazy self right now be honest and stand tall and prove to my grandkids no one gets to make a good guy cry and it is ok to to stand up for yourself with good manners

Sadieme thank you please consider yourself ..all of you hugged …big hugs … I love my kids and grands and feel so lucky to have them so close! I can walk there and may do that now ….you are so wonderful to someone hysterical woman who just pops on with panic! yes she is totally mental and had an episode in my yard ..and she did it on a day that sure was not a good one at all ..I was making fried chicken too and we all love fried chicken were starving so the smell of the food made it worse! …my sadness at the loss of such an amazing kid has mostly joy in his memories ..this time of year however I crumble ..mostly there is acceptance of something that makes no sense ..because life is always enough to keep your attention right??? he would have actually adored this ..he did hysterical animal based cartoons and would have made a whole series of strips about Bacon's saga …he had us all off meat for a few years until he succumbed to bacon LOL the end of many vegetarians I believe is the smell of bacon cooking

I will share the emails and the rest of the saga if you want …I can just block out the names

my husband sat down and read all the pages he was cracking up and tearful at the same time

I do not think th could step back since he was doing all the work I just cook for him and Bacon

today this morning I made up for it spending an hour play and scratching him ..when does the love of the chickens and ducks turn to him wanting them as food? If I continue to keep him full will he be less likely to turn on them because right now they are one happy family of "get a long" goodness.

PS being nosy I walked by "Mikes" house and omg he so did not need $50…wow HUGE, lavish ..assweed he was just continuing the douchebaggery!

have a good weekend everyone! it is fully fall here now …I want walk and go see the scarecrows we are having a town competition and folks really got into it this year

I need to check my hives! one is empty still (long story ) the top bar is bursting with honey but they are doing well

 

[Latestarter]

Hang in there Lady! You got us for support and we'll hear you out regardless! Feel free to spew font/ramble/whatever you need to do! Enjoy those grands and family! Would really like to hear about the karma that that douche "mike" gets out of this! He'll have earned every bit of it having been the cause/creator of most of the "bad" you're now going through now.

You have to join us on the bee threads! I have Langs, but there's another guy active there that has TBHs as well as Langs. I hope to see you there! Wasn't expecting any honey this year (1st year w/pkg bees) but ended up w/13 pints - 26.5 pounds! And I'm burning through it way too fast!

Edit to add: If "mike" is as slimy as I think he is, imagine the scenario; UPS guy asks "You know anyone who lost a pig?" slimy mike's gears start spinning immediately and the chance to make some quick $$ no matter what happens pops into his slimy brain, so he says "Hell yeah! I did!, where is it? I really want to get it back! I'm all broke up about losing it." Your nice UPS guy takes it hook line & sinker, rats you out, and our slimy "mike" is now $$ richer no matter what happens from this point forward. Sometimes I find it very difficult to "like" people...