This Miami pig had a big adventure. ‘I was worried she would end up in a caja china’
Miami-Dade Animal Services has always had its share of adventures, challenges and happy endings, but Monday’s qualifies as a Miami moment.
“Yesterday was an unusual day for us,” said a laughing Noël Gonzalez, spokeswoman for the county agency.
Luna the pig was feeling adventurous and wandered out of her family’s yard in Miami Springs on Monday, the agency said.
“When I realized she was missing, I was worried she would end up in a caja china,” her owner, Kristin Vega, told Animal Services. “Someone’s going to get a free dinner for New Year’s.”
Happily, before Luna could become someone’s holiday cerdo asado, she was brought to the shelter by Miami Springs police. Officers had received a call from a neighbor about a pig on the loose. Since Luna was more cumbersome than the usual dog or cat that they might hold at the station, she was brought to Miami-Dade Animal Services in Doral.
“A big part of our mission is reuniting pets with their owners, whether it’s dogs or cats — or even pigs,” Gonzalez said.
Worried she’d become dinner
“The owner had been looking for Luna frantically and walking the neighborhood with her kids, worried she’d end up as someone’s dinner,” said Gonzalez. “Every once in awhile we’ll get a pig or some other unusual animal, but it’s not an everyday occurrence.”
When the overjoyed family was presented with the opportunity to microchip the pet pig, Animal Services’ computer system had to mark her down as “Other” since there isn’t a category for pigs.
Because everyone wanted to make sure Luna was protected, and bothered as little as possible, they didn’t even take time to weigh her.
So after the happy reunion, Luna was sent home — with a new microchip.
One problem though. Pigs, considered livestock, as well as chickens and roosters, are prohibited as pets in Miami Springs according to Section 90-02 of the municipality’s code, said code compliance officer Robert Quintero.
The code reads: “No animals, livestock, poultry, or fowl of any kind shall be raised, bred, or kept in any structure or on any lot within the city.”
Owners can be fined up to $500.
“I had no clue. I had no idea. They didn’t tell me anything,” Vega said when she learned about the code rule. She said Luna is like a member of the family. She’s had her for four years and the pig has her own spot inside the home, as well as a shelter in the backyard, she said.
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How vets microchip a pig
Microchipping is a common safety procedure that vets recommend for traditional household pets such as dogs and cats. But you can get other animals, like pigs, protected at the agency, too.
But microchipping a pig isn’t quite the same as it is with dogs and cats.
Due to Luna’s size, Animal Services opted for “curb-side service,” Gonzalez said. The vets had to strategize.
With some quick research — and advice from a vet who had experience with livestock — vets determined that the best way to implant a rice grain-sized microchip in a pig is to do so behind the ear rather than on the back of the neck, where it’s done with dogs and cats.
So one vet got into the backseat of the family car with Luna, hugged the pig and used a tongue depressor to feed her peanut butter and keep her as calm as possible. Another vet implanted the microchip behind her left ear.
Luna clearly didn’t expect such an adventure from her little journey outside of the home that she shares with several dogs.
“Luna gets along with them like she’s one of the pups,” Gonzalez said she was told by the family.
“It was a big effort but we got it done with a little bit of squealing at the end, but she was happy to be reunited with her family,” Gonzalez said.
The message here: Microchipping your pet “is the best way to ensure that if your pet gets lost, it’ll find its way back to you. Any person that wants a microchip we will do our best to accommodate you — even if it’s a pig,” Gonzalez said. “It’s a good New Year’s resolution to get it knocked out with a trip to Animal Services.”
Getting a microchip for your pet
Where: Miami-Dade Animal Services’ Pet Adoption and Protection Center, 3599 NW 79th Ave., Doral
Hours: 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Closed on county holidays, including New Year’s Day
Cost: $15
Information: 311 or 305-468-5900 or visit https://www.miamidade.gov/global/animals/home.page
This story was originally published December 31, 2019 at 11:33 AM.
