Meet Aurora’s 400-pound, pink and very friendly former outlaw: Fred the pig.
Fred was first spotted in Aurora tearing up landscaping on Sept. 24, according to Aurora Animal Services Field Supervisor Augusta Allen.
People continued to call in about Fred as he made his way across the city, Allen said. At about 5 a.m. on Sept. 27, Fred was finally spotted in a place where Animal Services staff could fit a trailer — on a roundabout southeast of East Alameda Parkway and South Chambers Road.
An officer kept an eye on Fred for a few hours until a team was available to corral, push and pull Fred onto a trailer and relocate him to the Aurora Animal Shelter.
“He definitely didn’t want to end his walk,” Allen said, laughing. “He wasn’t mean about it, just a little obstinate. He didn’t want to end his holiday.”
Fred was named by Animal Services staff because of a call that came in the day he was captured about someone losing a pet pig named Fred, Allen said. The call turned out to be a prank, but the name stuck.
It’s not clear where Fred came from because no one has come forward to claim him, Allen said. But because pigs are prohibited as pets in the city, Allen suspects Fred was a backyard pet who was either set loose after growing too big or who broke through a gate.
It’s possible he wandered into the city from a farm, but farmers would typically come looking for their animal, Allen said.
“He’s super sweet and super friendly, so I think that goes to the idea he was socialized,” Allen said. “He loves belly scratches and Milk-Bones for little treats.”
Fred is between 2 and 3 years old and is likely a Large White or Yorkshire pig. He’s likely as tall as he’s going to get and is a healthy weight, though he could still pack on some pounds, Allen said.
Aurora Animal Services takes in about 20 livestock animals a year, most commonly goats, sheep and chickens, Allen said. Pigs are rare guests, and in her four years on the job, this is the first time a pig has stayed at the shelter.
Animal Services staff are currently looking for a rescue for Fred to call home, but in the meantime, he is treated to regular meals and pen cleanings, showers to cool off when it’s warm outside and lots of love.
“The staff is quite fond of him, so everyone goes out and gives him love and gives him treats,” Allen said. “He’s enjoying his stay at the Aurora Animal Services Pig Hotel.”
Fred is not up for adoption because he can’t be kept as a pet in the city, Allen said, but the shelter has plenty of cats and dogs in need of a good home.
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