Pigs on the loose in North Springfield

Pigs enjoying their freedom. [Photo by Cheri Stronach Brown]

Here’s something you don’t see around here every day: three little pigs wandering down a suburban street in North Springfield.

Several residents called Fairfax County Animal Control early this morning. An officer arrived on the scene, in the 7400 block of Long Pine Drive, at around 7:25 a.m. It took three hours to corral the pigs with the help from several bystanders and track down the owner.

No charges were filed against the owner, as no criminal acts were committed. The pigs were recently purchased and will only be staying there for a few days, said Fairfax County Police spokesperson Lucy Caldwell. Keeping pigs in a backyard is a zoning violation, but officers have some discretion in a temporary situation.

It’s not totally clear why the pigs were there, but Caldwell says, “it is my understanding that their purpose is for human consumption.”