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.
“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″}}” config=”{“renderingTarget”:”Web”,”darkModeAvailable”:false}”>
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 proc