The latest news about Maine lakes and ponds.

Police Use Taser Gun to Stop Free-Ranging Pot-Bellied Pig

June 25, 2008 - WATERVILLE — The Vietnamese pot-bellied pig that roamed Waterville for a month was captured Saturday when police used a Taser to disable the feeding swine.

Waterville Deputy Police Chief Charles Rumsey said Monday that someone who had been feeding the pig french fries called police around 6 p.m.

Police stunned the gray pig with a Taser gun before capturing him with a snare pole, Rumsey said.

"We took the opportunity to deploy that Taser for a short time," he said. "The pig was not injured whatsoever. It suffered no ill effects."

Police took the pig to Donald and Judy Shores' Oak Street farm in Oakland until his owner can pick it up, Rumsey said.

Rumsey said it was important to capture the pig because it could have posed a public hazard. "We were very concerned with it running out into the roadway and causing a traffic accident," he said.

Judy Shores said that she is keeping the pig in a cattle pen for now, hoping that someone will claim him.

"He seems to be OK," Shores said. "You can't put pigs just anywhere because they get away."

Shores hopes the owner will step forward and claim the pig.

"I don't really want it," she said. "They're a nuisance. You have to have a pretty good fence for them."

Pam Hart of Waterville tried to capture the pig on Thursday. She used cat food to lure the animal, but was unable to get close enough to grab it.

In late May, Colby College officials spotted the swine near the school's softball field.

Students were able to leash him, but he slipped the leash at a cookout and remained a free-range pig from then until Saturday.

By Larry Grard, Portland Press Herald, June 24, 2008

Lakes:
Regions: Belgrade


Print this story

Email this story

return to Lake News