Published: September 17, 2009 12:53 am      

Was their house blown down?

Adoptive 'parents' sought for 3 piglets found on Winchester

Ashland — If you’re missing three little pigs, then you’re in luck.

The Boyd County Animal Shelter has them.

Just don’t tell the Big, Bad Wolf.

“We found three pigs on Winchester Avenue, believe it or not, close to the Battery Terminal,” said Paul Helton, who runs the animal shelter. “They’re small piglets, probably not over 3 months old.”

It’s not the first case of a pig on the loose.

“We had a pig last month in Bellefonte that was 250 pounds,” Helton said. “Nobody ever did claim that rascal. We adopted it out. Some little girl on Bear Creek wanted it as a pet.”

Helton is hoping somebody will come in and claim the piglets, who are housed in an outdoor cage for now.

Helton’s role in corralling the pigs was easy. He just waited as Dave Branham of Ashland Animal Control brought the pigs in, one by one, starting at 5 Wednesday morning.

“The second one came in around 10, then the last one about an hour ago (2 p.m.),” Helton said. “So far, they found three, all of them on the four-lane road. One of them had a little bloody nose, like he’d been hit by something.

“I don’t have a clue how they got down there on Winchester Avenue but the city spent about four hours rounding them up.”

Larry Adams captured two of the pigs around 34th Street about 1:30 p.m. He gave the pigs water from a plastic dish.

“They were thirsty,” Adams said. “After I gave them water, they calmed right down.”

Adams would like to have the pigs if nobody claims them. He has a farm in Boyd County.

“I’m a dog lover and an animal lover,” Adams said. “I raise bees myself. I like farm stuff for some reason.”

Helton said it’s been an unusual summer of rounding up a variety of creatures. Snakes have been especially prominent, he said.

“Last night we got a 5-foot black snake out of somebody’s basement,” he said. “You never know what to expect.”

The shelter’s phone number is (606) 324-0745.

MARK MAYNARD can be reached at mmaynard@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2648.