‘Notorious’ potbellied pig named Piggy Smalls is apprehended by ‘joint task force’
BY TRAVIS M. ANDREWS
The Washington Post
Residents of Forest Grove, Oregon, can finally rest easy after months of anxiety.
The town of 22,000, about 25 miles west of Portland, found itself living with an elusive stranger - a black, potbellied pig known to police as “Piggy Smalls,” alias “Notorious.”
The town’s
police log from November alone includes three references to the nuisance. On Nov. 17, for example, the log read, “Police looked for a little black pig reportedly running down 16th Avenue from Cedar. They were unable to find it.”
The very next day, a concerned resident placed an emergency call after seeing the pig in bushes near 17th Ave., which the log claimed was “likely related to the call the previous day.” Police rushed to the scene, finding their suspect. But Piggy Smalls was clever and escaped almost certain capture.
“Officers located the pig however it eluded capture,” the log read.
The next day, the station received two more calls about the pig, one of them from a off-duty sheriff’s sergeant. But, as before, “officers again attempted to locate it without success.”
Who was this pig? What did he want? Would he ever be caught?
It took months, but on Friday, the Forest Grove Police
posted to its Facebook page a photo of Piggy Smalls - behind bars.
“The Forest Grove Police Department is pleased to announce the apprehension of a potbelly pig, known to police as ‘Piggy Smalls,’ who has allegedly been harassing residents in the Hawthorne neighborhood of Forest Grove over the last several months, at 12:53 p.m. this date by a joint task force of the FGPD Code Enforcement Officer and a representative of Home Sweet Home Properties,” the post read. “Smalls, alias ‘Notorious,’ has been frequently reported loose to the Forest Grove Police by numerous citizens, his actions having been published several times in the weekly Police Log. He has eluded capture by authorities until now.”
According to police, the pig will be “released to the custody of an animal rescue outside the city” where it will presumably live its remaining days in peace.
The mystery of the oinker’s origin, though, still remains.
Nevertheless, as police said, “While there is no ordinance prohibiting the possession of a pig in Forest Grove city limits, owners are expected to follow the same rules regarding leashing and cleanup as of any other pet.”
Residents are relieved.
“Here’s to our folks in Blue! God bless ‘em, they never quit!” Linda Love Peterson posted on the Facebook announcement. “You have the pig in the poke? Glad to know ‘The Grove’ is safe once again! Good job FGPD!” posted Jacquie Taylor Haney. “ I personally can’t be happier. He was going to get hurt,” Loretta Clayton Evans posted.
Some residents, though, took a harder stance on justice.
“That reminds me,” Steve Thayer posted. “I want to do some pulled pork this weekend.”
