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Did animal cruelty lead to Billerica pig’s obesity? – Lowell Sun

Jun 7th, 2017

Maybelle, a pot-bellied pig, was recently removed from a Billerica home because of health concerns and potential animal cruelty. The Animal Rescue League of Boston is now taking care of her. Courtesy photo Animal Rescue League of Boston

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BILLERICA -- Maybelle the pig kept seeing dog food in front of her.

As animals typically do, she kept eating the food packed with fat and calories.

And eating.

Combined with a stationary lifestyle in Billerica, Maybelle ballooned close to an obese 200 pounds ... about 80 pounds overweight.

"She didn't get outside much," said Michael DeFina, commun cations and media relations officer with the Animal Rescue League of Boston. "She was just eating."

A few months ago, Billerica's Animal Control division followed up on a complaint at 10 Roosevelt Road.

Officers ended up removing the pot-bellied pig because of overfeeding health concerns and what they called potential animal cruelty.

For the last six weeks, Maybelle has been staying at the Animal Rescue League of Boston's Dedham branch. DeFina estimates that it will take nine to 12 months to bring Maybelle down to an ideal weight of 120 pounds.

Maybelle has a very difficult time moving around, he said.

"We want her to be a normal functioning animal again," he said.

They're feeding her small meals of vegetable six times a day to lower her calorie intake. The goal is to lose weight "consistently and safely," DeFina said.

Officers will measure her midsection to monitor how many inches she's losing.

The Animal Rescue League typically doesn't receive pigs this obese.

"The vet staff had to do some research on this one," DeFina said.

"We're confident that once she loses the weight and is rehabbed, she won't have any problems getting adopted," he added. "Pigs are incredibly smart, friendly and do make great pets."

The Billerica Animal Control division is investigating, said Deputy Police Chief Roy Frost. Criminal charges are possible.

DeFina said overfeeding is an "act of animal cruelty in our eyes."

"Pet owners are responsible for nutrition," he added

On Tuesday night, Megan Caterino acknowledged that she lives at the home on Roosevelt Road where Maybelle was taken. However, she said she doesn't own the pig and to define her time with Maybelle as neglect is simply wrong.

According to Caterino, she started out watching Maybelle for a friend two weeks a month for the last year and a half. She said that the pig's owner -- who Caterino said lives in New Hampshire but refuses to identify -- traveled often and needed someone to watch the animal on occasion.

Also, after the Caterino family had a pig of their own in the past that they adored, they wanted to bring another pig into their lives.

However, the pig partnership between the two women went sour, according to Caterino. Maybelle's owner ended up missing several of the two-week visits. Then, about two months ago "out of the blue," Caterino said the pig owner had a family member bring Maybelle to her Billerica home.

"Where (the family member) put Maybelle down, she didn't move from that spot for three days," Caterino said.

Out of concern, Caterino said she reached out to Billerica Animal Control Officer Christine Gaultieri.

Maybelle was removed from the residence after Caterino said she was informed of a vet bill that she could not afford, coupled with an inability to reach the pig's actual owner.

"(Maybelle's owner) knew something was wrong with her, that's why she dropped her off here," Caterino said.

She added that she fed Maybelle pig pellets, grain and occasionally low-fat dog biscuits, and that the pet's physical condition today varies greatly from when she had the pig.

"She wasn't that big when she left here," Caterino said. "She's gotten a lot larger. Sometimes you can't help things. If something is meant to be fat, it's going to be fat."

"I grew up on a farm, I did, but I wasn't a pig farmer," she added. "I didn't know everything and this just ended really bad, but we were not neglecting Maybelle. She had the best home here. She was pampered when she was here."

Follow Rick Sobey on Twitter @rsobeyLSun.

Continued here:
Did animal cruelty lead to Billerica pig's obesity? - Lowell Sun

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