Tony Gervasi and Brandy Savelle planned to give their mini-pig, Caesar, a forever home. He acted like a third dog. Caesar was free to roam the family's 28-acres property in Ely Township, Michigan where he was free to root and roll in the mud as he pleased.
But a Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) officer confused Caesar for a feral pig. The area was a hotspot for feral pigs (who are mostly escaped livestock pigs and dumped pet pigs) who are considered a nuisance. The officer shot Caesar and removed his body from the scene.
Michigan DNR's Lieutenant Pete Wright lamented the fatal mistake, and assured that, "It’s the agency’s intent to never, ever shoot someone’s pet. Swine running at large on private or public property is considered to be a nuisance.”
Instead of lamenting Caesar's death, Michigan DNR needs to do a better job differentiating between feral and pet pigs. With an estimated 1 million mini-pigs, urge the Michigan DNR to develop a system that piggy parents can follow to protect their beloved pigs by signing and sharing this petition.
