Pet Pigs on the Loose Turning Delaware Into Hellscape

Filed in Delaware by on November 17, 2022


Is this pig yours?

The News Journal missed this press release from the state Department of Agriculture, but the Philadelphia Inquirer picked it up: Delaware is being overrun by potbellied pigs, apparently because pet owners realize that their cute little piglet can grow to be a 200-pound porker and live for 20 years. Though they don’t do as much damage as full-size feral hogs, they can tear up farm fields and the Ag Department is worried they can carry diseases like swine flu.

Since 2016, there has been an increase in potbellied pigs running at large in the state. A significant contributor has been the unimpeded pipeline of pet pigs becoming strays. Owners who can no longer manage these animals are likely to relinquish ownership and allow them to roam.

The pigs will be dispatched immediately if they are found at large on state-owned lands, including state forests, state wildlife areas, and state parks. … Potbellied pigs found at large due to a constituent complaint will be assumed to be stray, and the Delaware Department of Agriculture will determine the disposition of such animals.

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  1. Andrew C says:

    Looks like ham is on the menu this Thanksgiving!

  2. jason330 says:

    Potbellied Pigs poised to overtake Republicans as Delaware worst feral nuisance

  3. puck says:

    “The pigs will be dispatched immediately if they are found at large on state-owned land”

    And yet, there is a new state law to protect feral cats and their enablers.

  4. We need to train those potbellied pigs to snuffle out and devour the delicacy known as–the emerald ash borer. Win-win.

  5. Great headline, BTW. One might think that you’ve had some experience doing this previously.

  6. Arthur says:

    Time to gas up the chopper and grab the ak

  7. Ben says:

    We knew cops were a problem. I don’t see why this is news.

  8. The MoMo says:

    Feral hogs, the true height of Twitter.
    Can’t wait to see how quickly this gets integrated into the lawsuit against high capacity magazines

  9. bamboozer says:

    Aieee! The mini pigs attack! Have seen none as of yet, if I do I might need to release the hounds. Assuming their awake.

  10. WARNING! If you spot one of these creatures, don’t try to capture it! Just give it a tum-tum rub.

  11. Al Catraz says:

    The last time this happened, all we did was dig a big ditch from Delaware City to Chesapeake City. But then some damned fools built bridges across it.