A piglet that was rescued after being tossed like a football near a Mardi Gras event in New Orleans was “pardoned” on Wednesday and has found a permanent home with a Louisiana lawmaker.
The weeks-old pig – dubbed Earl “Piglet” Long, a play on the name of the 45th governor of Louisiana – was ceremoniously pardoned by the lieutenant governor, Billy Nungesser, on the Louisiana capitol steps.
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“He will live out his life without any threat of being thrown like a football or being part of jambalaya or boudin in someone’s kitchen here in Louisiana,” Nungesser said, referring to two popular dishes that contain sausage.
While beads, stuffed animals and hand-decorated souvenirs are frequently catapulted through the air during carnival season in Louisiana, pigs are not among those items.
The piglet’s journey to a new home began earlier this month when a bystander noticed men in a park, not far from a Mardi Gras parade, throwing “what appeared to be a mini-football” to one another and laughing, according to the Humane Society of Louisiana.
As the bystander approached, they could hear squealing and realized the object flying through the air was a piglet. The bystander asked for custody of the terrified animal.
Our little pig friend is going prime time! Rescued from men tossing him like a football, little Piglet’s story has been covered on TV, radio, and in newsprint! We are also selling digital piglet kisses for only $5, and the proceeds help other animals. https://t.co/83TfJoZvbc pic.twitter.com/xAf0Slw8at
— Humane Society of Louisiana (@HumaneLA) February 20, 2024
“The rowdiness, endless parades, and party-like atmosphere often lend themselves to questionable behavior – like how three grown men behaved a few days ago,” the Humane Society said in a social media post.
The piglet, who is expected to grow to be 80lb (36kg), has since been adopted by the state representative Lauren Ventrella and will live on a farm in the capitol region.
“As a Republican, sometimes we like to cut the pork,” Ventrella said, alluding to Republicans’ reputed conservative approach to fiscal spending. “But, I will tell you, this is the pork we won’t be cutting.”
