People across Aotearoa are calling for a better fate for Donald the impounded pig – who escaped a stock-truck and was recaptured after a highway police pursuit.
By Rebecca Hogan, Local Democracy Reporter
Following news Donald had been sold off to become bacon rather than live out his days as a pet, the Animal Justice Party (AJP) began rallying animal lovers “in an urgent effort to locate and rescue the pig" bought for $320 at a Tararua District Council auction this week.
Police had contacted the council after finding the pig roaming along State Highway 2 through Eketāhuna in the early hours of June 17.
They believed he had jumped from a stock truck.
The political party, AJP, said the story had “prompted widespread public concern, with many questioning why an animal who survived escaping and captured the hearts of New Zealanders now faces being killed”.
The group that purchased Donald the pig at the July 1 auction had already given council the money to pay for his incurred bills, and Donald had already made his way from the Dannevirke pound to a farm in Feilding.
They confirmed before leaving the pound, that after a few weeks of healing, Donald would be dinner.
AJP said, if the bidder was willing to give Donald “a second chance”, the party would co-ordinate a fundraising effort to pay for his bills and “cover the costs of securing his freedom”.
AJP said original reporting on the rural auction was “insensitive” and had reduced the pig’s experiences to “entertainment” rather than a tragedy.
The group did not like Tararua Mayor Scott Gilmore’s choice of language when he said Donald was sold for a good price, but the bidding could have been "hammed up" more. Donald was given his name by Gilmore.
The mayor said the council followed its legal requirements and took great care to make sure Donald was well looked after but, after the auction, any decisions about his future “rest with the new owner“.
The RNZ comment section on Facebook for the original story was full of public pleas to keep him alive, with one person saying "he has a spirit".
Anna Morten commented that she was willing to pay $400 to the winning bidder to give him a "sanctuary".
Strangers responded by offering up donations to Morten in an attempt to unseal Donald's fate. Whether the bidder had been located or was interested in these offers remained unknown.
The council worker running the auction on Wednesday said Donald was more of “a pig who did not know how to be a pig" rather than a pig who had been a pet or in contact with people.
Council was legally required to hold an auction for the unclaimed animal, and could not give him away or keep him.
Under the Impounding Act 1955, the council were legally required to "dispose" of him if he wasn’t sold at the auction.
This was not the first auction held by council for an unclaimed animal, but most others had been for sheep or cattle.
– LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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