JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – There's a problem with pigs, specifically Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs, around the city of Jacksonville.
Throughout the past year, police with Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office have been rounding up the pigs all over town. A city ordinance prohibits swine in the "corporate limits of the city," but officers say there's an exception for Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs.
The breed of pigs is very popular as pets, and they are often marketed as "teacup pigs" because of how small they are when they're young.
"It starts out small, and most Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs will weigh between 90 and 150 pounds, so they are going to be very large animals," said Dr. Christian Broadhurst, a veterinarian with the Clay County Humane Society.
"Pigs of all kinds are smart, mischievous, curious, and if there’s something they can do to escape, they will. There’s a whole world out there for them to explore."
The Sheriff's Office has posted numerous cases of missing pigs on Twitter throughout 2019. A JSO spokesperson said the Sheriff's Office has a legal obligation to publicly post any found animal so the owner can claim it.
If the owner is not found, the pot-bellied pigs are euthanized, but the Sheriff's Office said that rarely happens.