Ark Valley News - Out of the office

Out of the office
By Chris Strunk
Last Updated: March 31, 2016

Pedro is without a home again

Pedro is homeless again.

Well, not exactly homeless. Pedro is living with a foster family right now because he apparently disrupted at his former adoptive home.

Now, he needs a forever family.

The 1-year-old pot-bellied pig, who raised the concerns and won the hearts of Valley Center residents earlier this year when he was found wandering the city's streets alone, is up for adoption again.

The Valley Center Animal League, which is handling the adoption, reclaimed Pedro after he became overly affectionate with his adoptive family's other pets and livestock.

Dawn Taylor, president of the animal league, said a veterinarian specializing in pot-bellied pigs discovered that Pedro had only been partially neutered when he was a piglet. That has been "fixed," so to speak.

"He is, once again, calm," Taylor said.

Pedro has been with a new foster family for about a week. Taylor said prospective adoptive families can call her at 393-5256.

Pot-bellied pigs are not allowed in the city limits of Valley Center, but they don't require a lot of space, Taylor said.

"He can be boxed trained to be an indoor pet," she said. "He's fairly small and with a proper diet, should remain small."

Pedro weighs about 40 pounds.

Pedro's foster family has been working to get him a home as well. They put together a profile of Pedro befitting the personals section of Craigslist:

"Meet Pedro. Pedro is 1-2 years old and neutered. He is a fun-loving guy. Pedro loves strolling through his pen and snuggling up at night in the hay at home. He can't say no to a good ear scratch and belly rub. Belly rubs are his weakness and he will fall asleep."

The profile says Pedro is, ironically, into fitness.

"He won't turn his nose up at an occasional treat though. His dislikes are … OK, who are we kidding? He loves everyone and everything."

Pedro's hobbies include "rootin' in the dirt and wallerin' in the mud."

"His hopes for the future are to find a forever home and to be voted Sedgwick County's Most Eligible Pig Bachelor."

Come on. Let's find poor Pedro a home.

Chris Strunk is publisher of The Ark Valley News. Reach him at 755-0821, news@arkvalleynews.com or on Facebook.