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Two teens help rescue a pig who ran loose in Denby Park, Colonial Heights area

The Norfolk teens are being honored for helping save Penelope the pig after her owners were not properly caring for her.
Credit: Norfolk Humane

NORFOLK, Va. — A local pig found her new home after two Norfolk teens stepped in to help rescue her when she ran loose in the Denby Park - Colonial Heights neighborhood.

“Thanks to these boys for showing compassion and for helping the officer,” said NACC Bureau Manager Michelle Dosson. “Penelope is now happy in her new home, and even has a pig brother.”

Norfolk Humane Officer Johnel Southworth said a complaint came in about Penelope the pig's owners who were taking poor care of her. 

This was the second time Southworth received a complaint about Penelope's well-being, the first incident happened in the summer and the owner said Penelope would be moving to live on a farm in North Carolina.

When Southworth arrived at the scene to rescue Penelope, she was found loose in a driveway with no food or water. The officer said that getting the pig into a van was going to be difficult because she weighed more than 200 pounds.

Shortly after, in walked, 13-year-old Tracy Leach and his brother, 15-year-old Bradly Leach who were on their way to a skatepark. They stopped to ask about what was going on with the pig.

The boys saw how the officer was struggling to catch Penelope, and they jumped in to help. They were able to lure Penelope into her crate, with a trail of pig food that they found.

“You could tell she was very hungry,” Southworth said. “The boys were ingenious. It was quite something.” Bradly said, “It was eating every piece of food."

Once the boys helped load Penelope onto the van, she was then taken to the Norfolk Animal Care and Adoption Center and was later adopted.

“It was amazing these two young gentlemen stepped in there and were really gung-ho,” Southworth said. “I did not know them at all. It really touched me.”

   

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