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Piglet Thrown Around 'Like a Nerf Football' Saved at Parade

Piglet rescued by Good Samaritan who saw him tossed back and forth at NOLA Mardi Gras event
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 20, 2024 12:04 PM CST

A baby pig is now in need of its forever home, after a Good Samaritan rescued him from a cruel game of sorts at a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans. AL.com reports that a bystander was recently attending the Lenten celebration in the Big Easy when they spotted three men tossing a pig back and forth "like a Nerf football," spurring the spectator to step in and convince the men to relinquish the animal. The pig was then handed over to the Humane Society of Louisiana, "very scared" but not injured, as determined after a series of exams at a Metairie vet clinic, per WDSU.

"He's resting comfortably, enjoying life as a pig again, and getting lots of rest, attention, and TLC," the Humane Society noted on Sunday, per AL.com. A technician at the clinic is currently fostering the pig, since dubbed Piglet, and hundreds of dollars in donations have flowed in from the community to help pay for Piglet's medical bills. "We are grateful that Piglet was removed from such a harsh environment and is now enjoying the comfort of a safe and secure space, which we hope that every animal gets to experience while on our planet," the Humane Society's Jeff Dorson says.

Dorson introduced this "wonderful little creature" in a Friday Facebook video. Piglet has since had a "sleepover" with a group of possums to help him get used to other animals and is up for adoption, Dorson says. At least two people have already filled out applications, including state Rep. Lauren Ventrella. The Humane Society says the pig, said to be just a few weeks old, could eventually balloon to be up to 80 pounds, per NOLA.com. (More pigs stories.)

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